The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without shortstop Gavin Lux for the entirety of the 2023 season after scans confirmed a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee.
Lux had to be carted off the field Monday after suffering the injury in LA’s spring training game versus the San Diego Padres. The 25 year old was attempting to advance from 2nd to third base when his leg appeared to buckle, sending the infielder to the ground in pain.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game that Lux heard something pop in his knee as he went to the ground. The Dodgers have already confirmed that Lux will undergo surgery on March 7th.
The 5th year player led the National League in triples in 2022 while also hitting a career best .276. Lux was expected to be the club’s everyday shortstop in the wake of Trea Turner signing with the Phillies. With the Kenosha, WI native sidelined for the year, Miguel Rojas is expected to handle the bulk of the starts at short, while veteran Chris Taylor figures to factor in as well.
Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 1st round of the 2016 MLB Draft (20th overall), Lux set career highs in virtually every offensive category last year as he made 471 plate appearances across 129 big league games.
The lefty bat was one of the few cost effective contracts on the free spending Dodgers payroll heading into the 2023 MLB season. Currently sitting at $217M in total payroll, it’s unclear whether Los Angeles will look in house or test the trade market to find a replacement for Lux.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Junkyardsparkle. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.