Gavin Lux has always been on the dirt when playing baseball. Dating back to little league and travel ball, he always played the middle infield, so when the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to convert him to an outfielder, there was going to be some growing pains.
Lux has now only played 10 games in the outfield, with eight of them coming at the Major League level, but so far he hasn’t looked out of place and is enjoys playing on the grass.
“Definitely a lot more comfortable,” Lux said. “The first few games, I wasn’t nervous, but it’s something that’s pretty new to me. So now I feel a lot more comfortable after getting eight or nine games out there.
“It’s just getting reps and taking reads off of swings. Night and day compared to a week ago. Once the first catch was done, I literally went in the dugout and told Belli, ‘I can breathe now.’
“I think I was just a little anxious getting out there for the first time. Now it’s night and day different from a comfortability standpoint.”
As an infielder by trade, Lux said the biggest challenge for learning the outfield is getting a good read on the hitter and the ball, but he is continuing to improve.
“I think just overall reading swings. It’s a lot different than the infield. You’re obviously a lot further away,” Lux noted.
“Reading swings from left-handers, playing the slice, playing the top spin, the hook, there’s just a lot more variables that go into playing the corners of the outfield that you’ve got to deal with compared to center. So really, just reading swings is probably the biggest adjustment and still is an adjustment.
“It’s definitely something I’m still working to get better at.”
Because Lux has never played the position, he didn’t have his own outfield glove. But thankfully due to a mistake after he was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, Lux is borrowing a glove from Zach Reks.
“I didn’t even mean to take it with me,” Lux said. “The clubhouse guy in Salt Lake City actually packed it on accident, and it just so happens I’m still using it. I obviously got Reks’ blessing.”
Lux kept motivated with the demotion
When Lux was first optioned to Triple-A, he was disappointed but took the opportunity to continue to work and get better, and so far, the results are showing.
“Just trying to be where your feet are,” Lux said. “In OKC, obviously, I wasn’t happy about getting sent down, but just being where your feet are and realizing I’ve still got work to do and some stuff I can figure out to make the most out of the time that I was there.
“That’s kind of been my whole outlook on it.”
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