Los Angeles Dodgers fans despair as Gavin Lux carted off with knee injury in Spring Training game: "There goes our shortstop" "Season already over"
Los Angeles Dodgers fans are sweating buckets to start the week as infielder Gavin Lux was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury. Lux suffered the injury in the Dodgers' spring training game against the San Diego Padres on Monday.
Lux's right leg bent awkwardly as he attempted to evade the throw of Padres' third baseman Jantzen Witte while running between second and third base on an infield chopper off the bat of Luke Williams. Lux tripped and rolled into third, clutching his right knee in pain.
Lux was unable to put any weight on his leg, requiring assistance to get onto the cart before he was driven off of the field.
The Dodgers have yet to provide an update on Lux's condition, but the visual of seeing their starting shortstop badly hobbled has Dodgers fans in a state of apprehension and despair.
Lux, entering his fifth big league season with the Dodgers, has played both the infield and outfield over his previous four campaigns. However, with the consecutive free-agent departures of Corey Seager and Trea Turner in the past two offseasons, Lux was the heir apparent to take over as the Dodgers' everyday shortstop this season.
In the absence of further information, many a Los Angeles Dodgers fan is leaping to a worst-case scenario in regards to Lux. If the 25-year-old is forced to miss a chunk of time, the shortstop position will have gone from a position of plenty to one of scarcity with the Dodgers.
According to NBC Sports, Los Angeles would likely move Miguel Rojas to shortstop and Miguel Vargas to second base in the event of Lux's long-term absence. That prospect is not sitting well with fans.
Three days into spring training and still a solid month away from the regular season, should the prognosis turn bad for Lux, Los Angeles may have to turn to the trade market for another shortstop.
Lux an up-and-comer for Los Angeles Dodgers
Lux had been on a steady climb of improvement over his four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After hitting .240 in a 23-game big-league debut in 2019, Lux hit .276 with a National League-leading seven triples in 2022. He played 102 games at second base last season, along with 28 games in left field and just nine at shortstop.