The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Cody Bellinger off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday but it was Gavin Lux who started in center field both games since.
Lux has been swinging a hot bat since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, while Bellinger has been in a season-long slump. However, he still has the pedigree as an MVP-caliber player and Lux has struggled more often than not at the Major League level despite once being a top prospect.
With both players deserving of playtime, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is not sure who will be the team’s primary moving forward, but it seems likely it will be based on matchups and who is playing better at the time, with Chris Taylor also an option to make starts there.
“I’m not sure yet. I think we have a lot of good options, I think Gavin is playing really good baseball and he’s getting better each day in the outfield,” Roberts said. “Cody is active, he took batting practice on Sunday and looked good, he’s not 100% but he’s dang near close to it.
“We’ll see how it goes. I think for me it’s each night, what we feel gives us the best chance to win a ballgame. Regardless, whether it’s Gavin or C.T. on the bench, I expect those guys to be ready to come in and help us win.
“Looking at the roster, we have a lot of good options. It’s my job to kind of figure out how to mix and match, keep everyone relevant and involved.”
Although Bellinger did not start in the second game of the series against the San Diego Padres, he needed to enter in the sixth inning because Lux suffered a neck stinger upon crashing into the fence in center field.
Lux fortunately avoided a serious injury and only dealt with residual soreness the following day.
Lux gaining confidence
The Dodgers had already envisioned Lux playing a utility role after trading for Trea Turner, but expanding to the outfield was a new development. That held particularly true for center field, where Lux had never played until making a start at the position for OKC earlier this month.
Now being entrenched in center for the Dodgers, Lux has steadily gained confidence and received advice from Mookie Betts.
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