“Defensively he’s been rock solid” - Dave Roberts praises Gavin Lux for breaking out of slump in Dodgers' 11-2 rout of Nationals 

Gavin Lux may not have been the star of the show during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 11-2 rout of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, but his outing was still significant in more ways than one.

Lux drove in two runs to increase the Dodgers’ lead to 6-2 in the fifth. It was his first multi-hit game since March 30, and his first RBIs since April 13. Lux entered the game with just nine hits in 19 games and a batting average of .148: the 10th-worst in the majors among hitters with 50 at-bats.

Wednesday’s outing gave Dodgers fans a glimpse of the dependable player he was prior to his injury, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t be more pleased. When asked about Lux’s performance after the game, he said:

“Defensively, he’s been rock solid. … I would like to think that tonight is something he can build on for days going forward.”

The defensive aspect of Lux’s game has been a cause for concern for the Dodgers coaching staff. He lost his starting shortstop role for that very reason and his struggles at the plate led to constant scrutiny of his role at second base.

Lux had to deal with the disappointment of not being the starting shortstop in 2023 as well, when what was supposed to be a promising campaign ended just two weeks into spring training following a season-ending knee injury.

Context is important to assess Gavin Lux’s current form

The stats don’t make for good reading, but it is important to bear in mind that Gavin Lux is coming back after missing an entire season of baseball. Any player who hasn’t played for a duration that long needs time to re-adjust to the grueling major league schedule.

That’s just the physical aspect of the situation. And then, there’s the mental side of it. Lux was next in line to take over as the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop following the departures of Corey Seager and Trea Turner.

His injury spoiled those plans in 2023. After returning this year, Lux’s defensive struggles meant that he missed out on being the starting shortstop again. His form hasn’t been great since, and it did affect him mentally. He said (via MLB.com),

“Baseball is so much mental. When you’re slumping and just trying to keep building momentum and then hopefully bring it into the next day. It’s a tough mental game, so you just gotta keep rolling.”

If Gavin Lux can build on Wednesday’s outing, these early-season struggles will soon be forgotten.