The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Gavin Lux, which rules out the organization’s top prospect and 2020 National League Rookie of the Year candidate being on the team’s Opening Day roster when it is officially due Thursday morning at 9 a.m. PT.
“That’s everybody’s dream, to be out there on Opening Day,” Lux recently said. “Obviously it would be cool if there were fans, but you’ve got to do what you got to do. It would be great. Any way I can contribute, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Lux was a late arrival to Dodgers Summer Camp for undisclosed reasons, and upon reporting to Dodger Stadium on July 10, never quite found his footing. Lux didn’t start during intrasquad games and was not in the lineup for the exhibition series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Although the 22-year-old arrived for camp after the majority of the player pool, he was confident of not being too far off in terms of preparation for the 2020 season. “Right now it’s just seeing pitches and getting more at-bats,” Lux said.
“I think I’m pretty comfortable with where my swing is at. Now it’s just repetition and getting my eyes adjusted. I was getting live at-bats all quarantine, so I’m not that worried about it.
“I think I took a couple days off when we first cancelled Spring Training, just to travel and stuff, and then I was pretty much working out right away. Getting everything baseball-wise I needed to do to feel like I was ready and get better. So yeah, I feel like I’m ready to go. I showed up ready to go.”
After splitting time with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City last year, Lux made his MLB debut and appeared in 23 games for the Dodgers. With Lux being optioned, it’s also possible the Dodgers benefit from service time implications, depending on when he is recalled.
If Lux is recalled within 20 games of the season beginning, service time will have proven to be a non-factor. However, he does not return until after that mark, the Dodgers will have gained another year of team control.
Dodgers view second base as rotation
Prior to the Dodgers making the roster move with Lux, manager Dave Roberts indicated the team does not view second base as having a set starter. “I think it’s open,” Roberts said before Monday’s game.
“I think it’s going to be shared time. There’s a lot of things with Gavin’s swing, so just trying to get him more at-bats in lives and simulated. He’s getting there. I thought his at-bat [Sunday] night, albeit was a strikeout, was a good one. I think, honestly, at second base we have a lot of good options.
“Gavin, Kiké, Chris Taylor, Max Muncy at times. There’s a lot of good options. So I think for us moving forward, workload and matchups certainly matter. That’s kind of how I’ll look at it.”
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