Why Gavin Lux is Poised for a Dominant 2024 Season as Dodgers’ Starting Shortstop
The Dodgers have drastically upgraded their roster in 2024, adding two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, front-line starter Tyler Glasnow and All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
The roster, on paper, is better than last year’s, and appears to be built for a deeper run in October.
Free agents and trade acquisitions make up a majority of the roster’s improvements heading into 2024, but the team is also looking to get major contributions from players coming back from injury.
While a lot of the talk is on the one-time ace of this staff, Walker Buehler, the Dodgers are also getting back their starting shortstop who is in prime position to make a huge impact on this team.
Gavin Lux Injury
Gavin Lux was set to become the starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, something he said was “every baseball player’s dream.”
That dream was put on hold last spring training when he took a bad step running to third base, tearing his ACL and injuring his LCL in the process.
Lux has been rehabbing for the last 10 months, and has been spotted working out at Dodger Stadium all offseason long.
He’s entering the 2024 season as the undisputed best shortstop on this roster, and has the support of his front office to retake the reins at the position this season.
When Will Gavin Lux Return?
Last week, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Lux was on track to be a “full go” come Opening Day, which is a great sign in his recovery. Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel also recently spoke to Sportsnet LA, and said that Lux is “determined” to be ready by spring training, and “looks good” fielding grounders.
Assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks in his recovery, it sounds like Lux should be ready to play in spring training games, and will almost certainly be ready to go for the Opening Series against the Padres in South Korea.
Why Gavin Lux is Poised for a Dominant Season
In his last full season in 2022, Lux slashed .276/.346/.399 with 33 extra-base hits, 42 runs batted in and 95 strikeouts to 47 walks in 471 plate appearances. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, though.
Lux began feeling pain in his neck in late Aug. 2022. He missed four games towards the end of the month, before trying to come back, albeit unsuccessfully. Lux would miss over two weeks in Sept. with neck pain, and clearly wasn’t the same player after the injury — and his numbers suffered because of it.
Before Lux got hurt and had to miss time, he was slashing .297/.373/.439 with 31 extra-base hits, 39 RBIs and 75 strikeouts to 44 walks in 110 games. He was a constant fixture in the No. 9 hole in the Dodgers’ lineup, and thrived as a table-setter for the top of the order. At some points throughout the year, he was arguably the team’s best and most consistent hitter.
While Lux will have to overcome the mental hurdles of getting back on a baseball field just one year after a devastating injury, while also getting his bearings as a full-time shortstop for the first time at the MLB level, he won’t have to deal with pressure to come through at the plate.
Between Ohtani, Hernández, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Max Muncy, Lux will likely be in a similar position in 2024 as he was in 2022. His spot will be in the back of the lineup, and his job will be to take good at-bats, work the count and get on base.
Lux’s bat has always been his best quality, and he’ll be able to showcase that in 2024 in one of baseball’s deepest lineups. He also won’t have anyone breathing down his neck (at least as of right now), as Miguel Rojas is the backup shortstop on the roster, and he’ll mostly spell Lux and provide plus-defense — but his bat is nowhere near as potent as Lux’s.
The biggest question will be Lux’s defense, especially his ability to throw across the diamond from the shortstop position. In 2022, he ranked in the eighth percentile in arm strength. Conversely, though, he ranked in the 80th percentile in range with two OAA.
However, Lux’s teammates have backed up his abilities to play the shortstop position, and he’ll be able to prove them right this season.
Lux is still just 26 years old, and has been waiting his entire baseball career to be a starting shortstop at the MLB level.
First, it was Corey Seager blocking his path. Then, it was Trea Turner. Then, it was a fluke knee injury.
But in 2024, Lux has nothing standing in his way of fulfilling his lifelong dream — and he’s going to run away with the opportunity.
Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
