Dave Roberts didn’t mention Gavin Lux by name when discussing the Dodgers’ infield plans a few weeks ago.
Given the composition of their squad, he didn’t need it.
Asked on July 3 about the possibility of starting Mookie Betts at second base once Betts returns from a broken hand, Roberts was careful not to make any guarantees.
“I’m going to take as much time as possible (before making a decision),” Roberts said. “Because you have to appreciate the people that this could affect.”
Of course, no one was as likely to be affected as Lux. He had gotten all of his playing time this season at second base. And if Betts returned as the regular second baseman, he seemed the most likely to be bumped out of playing time, given his disappointing numbers in his return from knee surgery last year.
“It makes no sense to me to talk about the possibility of getting into another player’s psyche,” Roberts said.
Roberts may not have addressed the topic publicly. But in recent days, Lux has appeared to be a player motivated to change the narrative, following up a big performance Saturday with another highlight Sunday that lifted the Dodgers to a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
“Obviously, I don’t think it’s a secret that it’s been a little tough for me this year,” Lux said with a sigh of relief. “So yeah, just to get some results and positive feedback, it definitely helps.”
In the first inning Sunday, Lux helped the Dodgers erase a two-run deficit by hitting an RBI double down the left-field line, earning his third straight extra-base hit after a home run and a double in a win Saturday night.
Three innings later, Lux struck again, hitting an opposite-field home run to left that gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead en route to their clinching victory at Dodger Stadium.
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1. Gavin Lux hits a solo home run in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Red Sox on Sunday. 2. Lux celebrates as he crosses the plate after his home run. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t think it’s really a swing change or anything,” said Lux, whose 3-for-4 effort (he also stole a base) raised his batting average to .225 (tying his highest mark of the year) and his OPS to .609 (the highest it’s been at any point this season).
“I’m just trying to be more aggressive and when I get a good pitch to hit, give it a good swing.”
Overall, Lux’s stats are still disappointing. Two years removed from his breakout 2022 campaign — when he hit .276, had an OPS+ above league average and led the National League with seven triples — the 26-year-old has yet to become a regular bottom-of-the-table player again, largely because of the torn ACL he suffered last spring.
At times, Roberts said, Lux appeared too passive at the plate, seemingly protecting his surgically repaired knee with “hits” that took the first four months of the campaign to overcome.
Lately, however, there have been signs that his form is finally on the rise.
Since crossing the 150-at-bat threshold on May 31 — the threshold Roberts wanted Lux to reach before doing any comprehensive evaluations of his game — the infielder is hitting .250 with six doubles, four homers, 15 RBIs and a .700 OPS in 31 games.
His defense at second base, the position he returned to this spring after defensive struggles at shortstop, has been superb.
And, even though Betts is just weeks away from a return, Lux’s ability to add low-end production remains crucial to the Dodgers’ top-flight lineup.
“He’s battling every day,” Roberts said. “I’ve praised him all year for his defense, and now he’s stepping up to the plate. I think if you look at the last couple of weeks, the numbers are lining up. My eyes are lining up. I like what I’m seeing. And, you know, the confidence is definitely coming through.”
Lux wasn’t the only one leading the Dodgers to a series sweep of the Red Sox — a much-needed result for a club that had lost six of seven games before last week’s All-Star break.
The Dodgers hit a season-high six home runs, with Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Austin Barnes, Jason Heyward and Shohei Ohtani also hitting deep on a hot afternoon at Chavez Ravine.
Ohtani’s 473-foot home run in the fifth inning nearly cleared the roof above the right-field pavilion, his NL-leading 30th home run of the year, leaving teammates in awe as he rounded the bases.
“It sounded like a gunshot from his bat,” Lux said.
Barnes, who hit his first home run of the season on the previous attempt, added: “I was still thinking about mine (and then) I heard like a gunshot and everyone was screaming.”
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1. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani throws his bat after hitting a 473-foot home run in the Dodgers’ win over the Red Sox on Sunday. 2. Ohtani celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel after his solo home run. 3. Ohtani applauds as he reaches home plate after his home run in the fifth inning. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“That’s just where people don’t go. It’s really impressive. He does things, like every night, that people just can’t do,” Roberts added.
On the mound, James Paxton recovered from a two-run home run by Jarren Duran in the first inning to pitch the sixth, allowing just one more run in his longest start in more than a month. Daniel Hudson, meanwhile, earned the save after closer Evan Phillips gave up three runs in the ninth (he has allowed nine earned runs in his last eight outings).
“I think just winning, coming back and winning a lot of those games (from) tough situations, really creates a lot of momentum for the team,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton. “So hopefully that continues going forward.”
However, Lux’s sudden offensive explosion could have the biggest impact on the Dodgers’ long-term outlook.
If he stays healthy, he could justify continuing to bat against right-handed pitchers, with Betts perhaps playing shortstop on those days once he returns (Betts was the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop before his broken hand).
Lux also could be needed more in the short term after shortstop Miguel Rojas left Sunday’s game early with a right forearm strain.
Rojas doesn’t think his injury is serious, attributing it to a one-handed, heavy-hitting drill he recently added to his batting cage routine. He won’t play Monday, Roberts said, but he likely won’t need medical imaging, either.
“I’m just going to come in tomorrow,” Rojas said, “and see how I feel when I throw.”
Lux’s resurgence could also have implications at the trade deadline, as any continued struggles on his part could have prompted the club to seek more on-field help.
But the Dodgers had not yet lost faith in their former first-round pick. They hoped that at some point he would overcome his slow start and become a significant part of their plan to compete in the World Series.
This weekend, Lux showed long-awaited signs that the level of play is still possible.
For the first time in a long time, he looked like someone who might still be a key cog in their team’s success.
