Gavin Lux was in the initial Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, only to be scratched a few hours prior to first pitch. Chris Taylor shifted to second base, and Trayce Thompson moved into the lineup as the designated hitter.
“Gavin has this neck issue,” manager Dave Roberts explained. “I don’t know where it came from. It affects his swing. When he’s swinging, it gets a little bit more irritated. So he’s down obviously today, we’ll stay away from him. I don’t see him being in there [Wednesday], and then we’ll get through the off day and see where he’s at.”
Although Lux is poised to miss at least three games, there is hope a stint on the 10-day injured list will not be required. “I think two, three days should suffice,” Roberts added. There was improvement in Lux’s condition on Wednesday.
Lux previously dealt with neck trouble during the 2021 season, but that stemmed from crashing into the outfield fence on his attempt at a running catch. Although he was not an everyday player at the time, Lux wound up not playing in three games after his collision due to stiffness in his neck.
So far this season, Lux has appeared in a career-high 110 games and hit .297/.373/.439 with 18 doubles, seven triples, six home runs and 39 RBI. Lux’s triples, walks (44) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.821) are the best marks of his career.
If the Dodgers were to place Lux on the IL, it could create another opportunity for Miguel Vargas. He briefly was up with the team while Justin Turner was dealing with a chest/abdomen injury. The Dodgers also could recall Edwin Ríos, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City after completing a rehab assignment.
Dave Roberts credits Gavin Lux
Once a top Dodgers prospect, Lux’s Major League career has gotten off to an uneven start. However, his production and consistency this year have been closer to meeting expectations.
“I think that he’s worked really hard on the mechanics as far as really understanding what type of hitter he needs to be right now, in this point in time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said of Lux. “His work has reflected that every day. He’s really understanding how to approach each individual at-bat and pitcher.
“So I think that’s a big part of it. And ultimately, when you take a number of Major League at-bats, things start to slow down. Where now you can process information, you’re not kind of chasing your tail when you don’t get hits in a game. So I think now he just has a good foundation of who he is as a Major League hitter. So whether it’s a left-hander or right-hander, or a big spot, he’s conducting the same type of quality at-bat.”
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