Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced this morning that infielder Gavin Lux suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during yesterday’s Cactus League game and will miss the 2023 season (Twitter thread via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Lux also sustained damage to his right knee’s LCL. He’ll undergo surgery on March 7.
Lux, 25, was slated to step into the spotlight as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop following the free-agent departures of Corey Seager following the 2021 season and Trea Turner this past offseason. However, while advancing from second to third base on a grounder in yesterday’s game, Lux altered his course a bit to avoid a throw across the diamond. In doing so, the infielder’s knee buckled, and he immediately tumbled to the ground in pain. Lux was unable to put any weight on his right leg and was carted off the field.
With Lux now out for the season, the Dodgers’ January reacquisition of infielder Miguel Rojas now becomes a far more pivotal pickup. Rojas, who’s spent the past half decade as the Marlins’ primary shortstop (after being traded from the Dodgers to Miami), is a light hitter but grades out as one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. He’d been ticketed for a utility role but will now step up as the everyday shortstop in Lux’s absence. Roberts added that Swiss army knife Chris Taylor could get some reps in the infield as well, and Mookie Betts could see some extra work at second base for the Dodgers, too (Twitter link via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times).
The 2022 season saw Lux take the field for a career-high 129 games and slash 276/.346/.399 in a career-high 471 plate appearances. That was solid production — 13% better than average, per wRC+ — but it also bears mentioning that a woeful cold streak in September and October weighed down Lux’s end-of-season numbers. Lux was slowed by neck and and upper-back soreness late in the year, receiving a cortisone injection and missing about two weeks of action while mending that injury. Based on the way his season finished out, it doesn’t seem the injection and downtime had their intended effect.
Through Sept. 1, Lux was slashing a far more robust .293/.368/.428 in 418 plate appearances. During the season’s first five months, he walked at an 11% clip and fanned at a lower-than-average 18.9% rate. Upon returning on Sept. 17, however, Lux tallied 53 more plate appearances but hit just .154/.170/.192 with an alarming 30.2% strikeout rate and 1.9% walk rate.
Between that five-month run to open the 2022 season, a strong K-BB profile, sharp defensive grades at second base and Lux’s pedigree as a former first-round pick and universally lauded top prospect, a 2023 breakout seemed like a real possibility. That’ll no longer be the case, and it’s a gut-punch for both the Dodgers and for Lux. He’ll spend the year on the injured list, gaining Major League service time along the way and inching closer to free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Rojas figures to be a downgrade with the bat on the heels of a .236/.283/.323 showing in 2022. While he did post a much more solid .277/.334/.398 line from 2019-21 (1208 plate appearances), Rojas just turned 34 and has seen his quality of contact degrade considerably over the past couple seasons. However, while he doesn’t have the offensive upside of Lux, Rojas should provide the Dodgers with lights-out glovework at the position. He piled up a gaudy 15 Defensive Runs Saved and 11 Outs Above Average with the Marlins at shortstop in 2022, and dating back to 2017 he’s been credited with 27 DRS and 19 OAA in more than 4800 innings.
Even if Rojas gives the Dodgers a more-than-passable replacement option at shortstop, Lux’s injury still thins out the organization’s infield depth in a meaningful way — particularly with top prospect and projected regular second baseman Miguel Vargas also dealing with a hairline fracture in his pinkie finger. While there’s no indication Vargas is expected to miss substantial time with the injury — he’s playing in Cactus League games but not swinging during his plate appearances at the moment — subtracting Lux from the roster likely pushes a depth option such as Yonny Hernandez up from Triple-A. The outfield depth is also impacted, as any time Taylor spends in the infield cuts into his availability elsewhere on the diamond.
It’s feasible that the Dodgers could yet look to add some infield depth, though options on the free-agent market at this point are extremely limited. Veterans like Jose Iglesias, Jonathan Villar, Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons remain unsigned, but the latter three in particular have had their share of recent struggles. The Dodgers are no strangers to making small-scale trades and adding depth via waivers, of course, and this injury gives them the freedom to accommodate a new acquisition on the 40-man roster by shifting Lux to the 60-day injured list.
Trade coming up!
Damn
Tough break for the kid. This seemed like his year to break out.
Agreed. Granted they’ve had some opportunities to break out so far, but it really seemed like this year was going to be their best chance to really show what they can do. Hate seeing things like this happen to the ones trying to really have their shining moment.
hoping for the best for lux and comes out swinging in 24 not a lad fan but it’s hard to route against the kid few times i’ve watched him play you can see the love he has for the game
Agreed. I’m not a Dodgers fan either but I hate to see any career detailed from injuries, but especially when it’s someone still trying to breakout.
Is it just me or are way too many valuable guys getting hurt WAY too early? I know these guys are in shape to play basically all year round now but do they need to be playing this much this early? I know some people will say they might just as well get hurt later than sooner, But most teams are playing their younger guys early to get them Major League AB’s before they get shipped off to Minor League camp, So they’re trying to make an impression and probably trying too hard. Just seems like there are more than usual, earlier than usual.
@uncle tbh i think it’s all the work the players put in the offseason and they never let there bodies fully rest.
Someone says this every spring. It’s funny how infrequently players injure themselves when they aren’t playing baseball.
Tough news to hear. Speedy recovery
No speedy recovery when you miss an entire season.
The recovery can be speedy, even if the return isn’t.
He just likes the dopey speedy recovery line and uses it way too much.
I gotcha. I don’t read the comments in the injury headlines as much as other articles I suppose. Mostly a traditional trade, signings, rumors kind lol
@Winslow Leach,
Exactly how many times have I used it, if you’re keeping count? If you’re ever injured I hope your recovery is speedy too. Have you made note of all my comments?
Wow, all this time I’ve had a stalker and didn’t even know it…..
The like for your comment is from me. Have a great day.
Wow!
Looks like CT3 or Rojas I see no additional trades happen prior to the season to address the position.
Signing Iglesias would seem to be the obvious fit..
Absolutely
As a a stop gap to help as much as possible; It is an obvious move. There is no other, unless there is a trade of some sort.
Chris Taylor has not been good at SS. Better suited in a utility role.
Didn’t see your post Drascoo before I posted mine but yeah I think you’re right. I think you meant Rojas though, Rios is on the Cubs.
The Dodgers brought in Rios as insurance just in case Lux defensively couldn’t handle short stop, only makes sense now to give him the keys to start the season and see if they need to make a trade later in the year.
Now my next question is it just me or have spring training games either started sooner or have “regulars” started playing sooner? It seems to me that either used to start with a lot more minor league players and pitchers only going an inning to start. I was shocked to see the Cubs use their projected opening day line up to kick off spring training games. Perhaps I just haven’t been paying that much attention to spring training this season but it just seemed sudden to see players starting games so soon. It also seems like an abundance of injuries
Ooouuuccch. Really wish him the best.
I said it earlier and I’ll say it again. Dodgers did not have a great off-season. This doesn’t help.
That Sux
Are the Dodgers going to make the Brewers an offer they can’t refuse for Adames…?
Lets get the rumours going…
Paging Falefa…please report to AZ to continue your Spring.
Now what Dodgers? I was hoping to have a couple gaping offensive holes in the lineup.
Paging Jurickson Profar
Profar, especially if the Dodgers are thinking of playing Betts more at 2B, as he is more likely to play the OF. To me it is an odd suggestion to move Betts to 2B, but probably more because they feel Vargas is not going to be able to handle 2B. The defense and hitting goes down significantly for the OF by moving him to 2B. They would really need guys like Thompson, Peralta, Outman and Vargas to produce in the OF. While that is certainly possible, it’s certainly possible that neither of the four do much offensively and defensively.
So, losing our shortstop wasnt enough… Now we need to move our best outfielder to second so we can have our rookie 2B move to an unfamiliar position in the OF which does ZERO to fill the SS position that Rojas is already primed to fill??? Ya, makes perfect sense…
I’m puzzled by Betts to 2B as well. To me it makes zero sense unless you’re really sold that Vargas is not ready for 2B. Vargas does look slow at 2B. It takes him a long time to move that long body of his. He’s more suited for the OF. Have said that all along. They need a corner OF spot to hide him.
Dodgers need to maximize their offensive output in having Rojas at SS. It’s all about team batting output. So, these moves are relevant, especially if they’re not trading for a SS and sticking with Rojas. But that is a very suspect OF if you move Betts to 2B. You have to firmly believe that guys like Outman/Vargas/Peralta/Thompson are going to hit.
Also, Vargas may be more familiar with 3B in the minors but he was not very good at it and part of the reason he played LF with the Dodgers. They also had him play 23 games in LF at AAA to get him ready. Vargas will make his impact at the plate. It’s a matter of finding a position where you can hide him. DH is not an option given Martinez so you have to look at corner OF.
as a utility and 2B. it helps a little but not ideal
That was my same thought was Profar
Profar is a Boras client. He’d want a two year deal in which he can opt out after year one. LAD are bracing themselves for FA in 2024 when a certain hitter/pitcher becomes available.
That sucks and right at the beginning of spring training too. He’ll be back September 15th.
Whom are we talking about? Lux? If so, he is out all of 2023 and most of 2024.
Sorry. I meant September 15th 2025.
That blows. Sorry Dodgers. Never want players injured.
Musgrove out only 6 weeks, thank God.
Spring training has been rough on the players this spring. Lux out for the year, Glasnow out 8 week with a strain, Musgrove out 6 weeks with a fractured toe and Seiya Suzuki is out with a moderate left oblique strain.
Holy Crap. That’s like losing Jordan and then Pippen, then Kukoc. Helloooo Bill Wennington!
Javier Baez?
Only way the Tigers find someone to take Baez is if they eat at least half of the contract. Or include like Torkelson or Greene.
I thought Baez was supposed to be the cornerstone of their rebuild, thus the contract that makes it almost impossible to trade him.
I would do that if I were the Tigers. I doubt Greene will be the star he’s hyped to be. Regardless, the Tigers have a variety of hyped throw ins.
DIDI!!!!!
Tim Anderson
Sounds good to this WSox fan except the FO isn’t aware the only teams they are better than in the AL are Oakland/Detroit/KC. Every team in AL East is better + Angels/Texas also passed them up.
Sox aren’t going to trade Anderson before next off season. And if they DO trade him at the deadline this year, That means the Wheels have not only come off, They’ve fallen off a cliff and into a ravine.
Tough break for Gavin, been there done that, it can take 2-3 years to regain 100% use and mobility after surgery.
Time for LA to sign Jurickson Profar or trade for Bryan Reynolds.
They’re both outfielders. Unless they move Mookie to 2b full time which would be a bad idea. By the way, who is the Dodger’s 2b man?
Vargas was supposed to be the starting 2nd baseman. Not sure that is still the plan with Lux’s injury.
Every year. Every. Stinkin. Year.
Injury prevents Lux from becoming a star in 2023. He must be frustrated with his bad luck. Hopefully he gets another opportunity with Dodgers or another organization. He’s an above average hitter.
Never good to see injuries to any degree (and I hate to be that guy), but from the Dodgers’ perspective at least it happened during Spring Training. Since there is no Active Roster currently, he can be put on the IL and not accrue service time while still getting his salary.
And there will be opportunities to trade for NRIs (with play time clauses) that other clubs risk losing heading into the season.
Definitely not a good scenario to be in, but there’s still time to address it.
Lux will be moved to the IL and he will accrue a full year of service time for 2023. Moving him to the 60-day IL will immediately open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Are you sure he doesn’t accrue service time? I’m pretty sure he does.
“Players also earn a full season if they spend at least 30 days on an active Major League or Minor League roster AND their active-roster and injured-list time amounts to at least 90 days in a given season”
That’s from the MLB Glossary about Minor League Options; since there is no Active Roster during ST, any players moved to the IL before the start of the season are never “technically” occupying an Active Roster spot (and it doesn’t necessitate using an Option to start a rehab assignment).
A similar thing happened when Josh Rojas strained his oblique and wasn’t able to make the Opening Day roster last season.
Thanks highheat, but there must be other details/caveats that prevail over what you posted. In todays A. Franco chat, he confirmed that Lux will accrue service time while he’s on the IL this year.
Javier Baez
The Dodgers will fill the position well, I’m sure of that. But what a bummer for Lux, this was an important year for him to establish himself as a solid mainstay.
Jose Iglesias is available, not like the Dodgers are going to be going under the luxury tax so might as well sign a pretty good defensive shortstop with a decent to good bat.
It’s felt like they wanted Rojas to be the utility guy, give Muncy breaks against tough lefties and breathers for Vargas/Lux.
If they like Rojas best in the utility role, I think Iglesias definitely makes the most sense
Iglesias or Simmons worth bringing in on a flier with no guarantees. I suppose Didi could be an option, again with no guarantees of success.
Paul DeJong has had a couple of underwhelming seasons in a row. If his spring does not go well he may be DFA’d with almost exactly 5 years of service time. Would be available for the league minimum and has potential to carry a team when he gets on a streak. Nothing flashy, but doesn’t break the bank and would be one heck of a roll of the dice. STL is in a bit of a roster crunch and if Walker forces his way into the starting roll they will need the place on the 40 man.
@snakebyte32 that not a bad thought, dejong for a low a lotto ticket, maybe he is a change of scenery guy when he first came up he was exciting to watch above avg d and some pop. i don’t what happened to him did his production fall off because of coaching at the mlb level because when he was demoted then called back for few weeks he looked like his old self then went back to looking lost at the plate. i’m not saying the dodgers are a perfect fit because i want the roster spot for someone else but because the dodgers seem to have a knack of turning players careers around. it could be the low risk high upside move that always seems to work out for lad
DeJong for a lottery ticket plus Blake Treinen as a salary offset could make the Dodgers interested and clears a spot on the St. Louis roster until at least midseason.
Cardinal fans will lose their minds with this thought but would Tommy Edman and a decent outfielder be enough to get the Dodgers to give up one of their never ending supply of good pitchers.
A recent interview Edman gave told me two things. 1) He has zero interest in moving back to second base. He has the glove to be a top defender at short. 2) He has every intention of being the next Dansby Swanson signing a huge contract. I don’t blame him and I wish him well. The Cardinals aren’t signing him long term.
Hold down short with some combination of DeJong, Winn, and Donovan while waiting for Winn to be the full time shortstop. A top notch starter would certainly ease the pain of losing Tommy.
@57 you make good points and trading tommy would sting, but it will sting less if we can pick up a sp with top 3 potential, but for all that is holy please no dejong full time at ss unless we can dh for him instead of the pitcher. wish the best of luck to paul always liked him but i’ve seen enough of his bat, i hope he goes out and takes and makes me eat crow but i’m not counting on that
I was thinking the same thing but you nailed it. Tommy Edman to the
Dodgers for some Dodger prospects at SP.
Oh no. Tommy Edman doesn’t go for a prospect. Him and a decent outfielder for a proven top starter. St Louis has no need for prospects. They have plenty of their own. This will never happen because LA won’t give the only thing St. Louis needs. A top starter.
Why would the Dodgers want a guy who has back to back underwhelming seasons to replace Lux and his production. When they could go out and trade for someone better or sign Iglesias or someone like Simmons?
I don’t think a 6.4 WAR season is underwhelming. 108 OPS+ with Gold Glove caliber defense at short and 30+ stolen bases under the old rules is not underwhelming. Edman will likely steal at least 40 bases this year.
Sorry, my reply was to Armament who mentioned trading for DeJong. Edman would be a great replacement, but I don’t see the Cardinals making that trade.
Walls,Brujan, Basabe from Rays.
Brujan makes a lot of sense and Tampa was looking to move him. Plus the Rays and Dodgers have a lot in common front office wise. I think it makes too much sense to be honest.
Trade for Dejong. On last year of contract and like other Cards position players traded or released he’s likely to hit 30 homers for the Dodgers
I wonder if Swanson would approve a trade this early.
I’m all for Adames for Pepiot, May, and Miller
No deal unless the Dodgers also throw in the team bus.
And a handful of the original Dodger Dogs
I’m interested to see how Yonny Hernandez does in camp. He doesn’t offer a lot in the power department, but he gets on base and steals bases at will. He plays all over the infield and is good defensively wherever you stick him. He’s already on the 40 man roster.
Why is everyone suggesting shortstops for the Dodgers. They have Miguel Rojas as their SS. Lux was likely going to be the 2B. I think Rougned Odor or Jonathan Villar makes much more sense than Iglesias or Gregorius.
Depth reasons, the Dodgers are pretty slim in that area in the first place.
Also Dodgers FO does not need to torture their fans with Jonathan Villar, nobody deserves that type of torture it is just cruel and this is coming from a Cubs fans.
I believe that Lux was going to be starting SS and Rojas was signed for depth/defensive purposes.
Vargas is expected to play 2B. Taylor too. Lux was expected to be the SS and as has been stated in both articles Rojas was ticketed for a Utility role
Understood Rsox. Just wondering what the deal is with Roberts saying Betts will play some 2B. Why would you do that if you have Vargas there. He also said Taylor will play some SS. Dodgers just looking for optionality but really a lot of the options are not optimal.
Roberts has a bizarre fixation with seeing Mookie at 2B.
He does?
Had the Dodgers signed Judge the expectation from the Dodgers was Mookie would move to 2B
Exactly 7 games, 5 starts and 46 innings played at second base in each of the last two seasons. Kind of odd how these are exact numbers. Mookie is a good athlete that can use his national athleticism to cover up lack of recent experience.
Joc Pederson at 1B? That was painful to watch. What the Dodgers are constantly looking for is flexibility and optionality. They’ll even sacrifice some defense to achieve it.
Number 1, the Dodgers were never going to sign Judge. Number 2, the idea behind returning Betts to 2B is about the Dodgers preserving their longterm investment in the player. Leading to Number 3, which is this “bizarre fixation,” if you insist on calling it that, comes from somewhere not called Dave Roberts.
Lol clueless comment
Yeah ya got Rojas. Not bad after Seager and Trea. 81-81
Lux was the starting SS and Rojas was the utility.
Orioles ought to sweep in an take advantage
See how spring training plays out. The Mets maybe looking to move Eduardo Escobar.
No they’re not.
Iglesias or Didi on the cheap. Rojas is fine but they still need another SS capable Infielder
Horrible news, hate to see a guy like him get hurt on what looked to be a potential breakout season. Timing is insanely bad with the Vargas injury too. I can’t believe how many people are dying they should go get Baez though, the strikeouts and contract are obvious massive obstacles to getting a deal done as I simply can’t imagine Detroit jumping at the chance to eat 40 to 60 percent of his remaining money just to move on.
Not gonna be a good season for the dodgers.
I don’t believe a word of the scenarios the Dodgers are throwing out – Mookie to 2B solves nothing, and I don’t think the Dodgers want or think Taylor can play SS. Maybe in a one or two game pinch. And Yonny Hernández should not sniff the MLB roster, much less playing SS. Dodgers 1000% need to and will go out and get an MLB SS capable player – sign, trade and/or waiver.
If Mookie is at 2B then the Dodgers must be leaning towards carrying Heyward because the OF depth is about as shallow as the IF depth
Interesting observation. That’s like throwing crap on the wall and hoping at least two OFs stick/perform. No one really proven for 2023 in OF outside of Betts.
David Peralta while not great, is a proven commodity. The Dodgers could re-think their position on JD Martinez not playing any OF but that would probably be a bad idea
Problem solved, Torres to second, and IKF to SS, Outman and prospect Sheehan to to the Yanks.
It’s interesting watching the Dodgers decline after being so good for so long. This just shows that their depth is not nearly what it was even 2 years ago.
That said I would not be surprised if Rojas has a career year. He barely needs to be an above average hitter to be incredibly valuable.
These season comes down to – like with every team – health. But in the Dodgers’ case, it also comes down to – in the most basic terms – the offensive output of Muncy, Vargas and Taylor. You could swap out underperformance by one of them with an offense outbreak from this pool: Heyward, Thomson, Outman. But that’s the most likely indicator of how the season goes.
That 111 win team sure seems like a long time ago for some reason. If these young guys don’t pan out, and we don’t get a better season out of Chris Taylor, plus similar production out of Freeman and Betts, this team could look awfully mediocre after so many years of leading NL in runs scored.
I think Dodgers are still a playoff team. They have the best minor league talent in baseball. They can plug any hole with a minor leaguer or trading for for players to fill any holes.
The Dodgers are a 100 plus win team without Lux.
The outfield lost errr ….gained from moving on from Bellinger 2022 OPS+ of 78 and 3 years removed from his GG.
The infield lost Justin Turner, Trea Turner and Gavin Lux. Ok, up until this off-season there were plenty who were sour on Lux. Justin Turner is 38! How many starting 38 year old 3B’s are there? Trea is a loss for sure, will cost them a 10% decrease in wins going from Trea to Rojas. But Muncy and Vargas do fill the shoes at 3B and 2B.
Catcher we still have one of the best bats at the position
DH JD Martinez fits nicely
SP……Urias, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Syndergaard, May, Miller, Stone, Pepiot…..not a team in baseball that wouldn’t wNt those 8
RP addition by subtraction, no more kimbrel
111 wins minus the Trea Turner loss equals 100 wins and one more win in November than any other team! Go Blue!
Hope you are correct, but let’s dissect this. In the OF, the Dodgers don’t have anyone to play the same CF defense that Bellinger played. Yes, most likely the CF offensive production will be better but right now nobody is proven for 2023. Thompson’s 2022 was a small sample. Outman we have no idea what he’ll put up. Peralta is fading badly but perhaps on a platoon he’s more than adequate. Heyward? Lots of question marks. Infield. The true comparison is Vargas (or whoever plays 2B) versus Lux (2022), and Rojas/Taylor versus Trea Turner. Yes, Lux was not going to come close to matching Trea Turner’s productivity at SS but that gap has widened. Taylor is not a good long-term solution. Can Rojas produce at the plate?
Starting pitching is filled with health question marks. Thor is a good bounce back candidate but health prone. Kershaw posted good 2022 numbers but was hurt again and will likely be hurt again in 2023 at some point. Gonsolin had a great 2022 but I’m not sure if I quite believe it and if he’s fully healthy. May should bounce back but there are no guarantees. The only constant is Urias. The youngsters are fine to fill in but can they provide sustainable starts at the MLB level? We won’t know until it happens and it could be this season give the lack of starting pitch depth at the MLB level.
Dodgers should be calling Texas asking about Josh Smith and/or Ezekiel Duran.
Thought you might want Corey Seager back at a discount…
Amed Rosario makes the most sense since he’ll be a FA after the season. Not sure what the asking price would be or if CLE would even consider trading him now. Average defender, but he’s durable and consistently productive at the plate.
Thoughts and prayers to the Dodgers team. Can’t see them recovering from this. Probably end up with a 0-162 record this year. Sorry to hear the bad news…
Dodgers get IKF and Torres from Yanks for Outman and a pitching prospect in Sheehan.
Outman is starting in CF and has six years of club control. They aren’t trading him to the Yankees as long as they have Vargas to fill in at SS and get by. You don’t have to have deluxe offense from SS to win. The Dodgers were just fortunate enough to get it from Seager and Turner for so many seasons.
Outman is still fighting for a roster spot. Lux going down increases the likelihood he sticks but still not a given. Has to show in spring training that he’s ready. I don’t think they’re putting Vargas at SS. That would be pretty crazy.
You are as funny as a Sax throw to 1B. Vargas will be an adventure at 2B, let alone SS.
Web
Vargas is talented, you will see. But I love the reference to Steve Sax throws so I’ll like your post anyway.
Not sure Outman starts in the outfield for the Dodgers.
Anyone think Gleyber is switching coasts? making the trek by way of an ’84 sheep dog?
Gleyber was a terrible SS. IFK would make more sense.
Gleyber goes to second and is a 3 WAR player.
This may not be a popular view, but I do not begrudge players their money. You just never know when fate hits you. He’s pre-arb eligible and going to have an entire year washed out. He’s got significant damage to his knee and he plays a position that requires agility. Hopefully the procedure and the rehab a success
Unfortunate for the kid.
For the Dodgers, the Rojas trade just paid more dividends.
Iglesias makes sense but if it wasn’t for a solid month in bean town, his offensive production was horrible last year. And that was in Colorado! His defense was pretty good though and the Dodgers need at least someone else who can play ss, but I feel like Iglesias is basically just Rojas 2.0.
Does putting Lux on the IL free up the amount of his salary
Donnie. Thats a no.
Derek. No the other Derek.
What about Nick Madrigal???
I’m sure you could deal for Jose Barrero.
We have plenty of other SS to replace him.
Paul DeJong Paul DeJong Paul DeJong Paul DeJong. Can I wish that into existence with enough repetition?
You know they are extremely pissed about losing Trea now, and I sense a big “overcompensation” move incoming, in response
Hmm if Peraza wins the Yankee SS job then IKF would be available.
I don’t see the Dodgers trading for anyone. They have Rojas. Also, have Busch ready for the show. And, Leonard should be up by the end of the season.
Rojas is 34 and has a 83 OPS+ the last 2 seasons, 85 over his career. He is a backup at this point in his career, not a starter on a team expected to contend.
Contending teams also don’t rely on 2 rookies to fill the middle of the diamond, so it won’t be Vargas and Busch this season.
Dodgers could use a depth/backup shortstop, like Jose Iglesias on a minors deal or the equivalent.
They already have a depth/backup shortstop in Rojas. They need a starter.
How about Ahmed Rosario via trade?
Dombrowski should be on the phone to Dodgers and telling them they can make an offer for Josh Harrison. Hold Dodgers for ransom.
Hold them to ransom for…Josh Harrison? That’ll be a short phone call
We wants the money: Dombrowski. No funny business.
Maybe bring Kyle Farmer back from Minnesota. With Correa signed he’s probably available for couple of minor leaguers
Interesting thought. He’s become a pretty good SS for someone who came up as a catcher. Still, not a lot more appealing than Iglesias, who can probably be had for fewer dollars, and of course no prospects.
@cincinnatikid– I had the same thought regarding Farmer. Very under-rated player that plays multiple positions.
Yankees IKF
I’m sure they’ll touch base. They’ll also check in with the O’s on Mateo. There’s also Iglesias still out there. The Dodgers know this is an extensive injury, so they may do something bigger than anything mentioned. They have a deep farm too, so a surprise trade with a more impactful, longer-term return can’t be ruled out.
About the worst scenario possible for the ’23 season. At least from the Dodgers point of view, it happened early in camp. They have time to at least patch the hole.
Beyond that, feel most sorry for Lux. This was going to be his chance to shine. Wasn’t convinced he was a SS, but he probably could have held it down for the year. Hopefully the extent of the knee injury doesn’t reduce his skills. Not sure how the additional LCL damage will impact his return.
Sorry to hear about his injury. Hope he heals well and can return in 2024.
Who will the Dodgers trade for to replace him? They can’t afford to have an unproven rookie at 2B and a no hit veteran at SS.
That’s terrible. Guy finally gets a chance to play everyday and immediately has it taken from him.
Was looking forward to him having more of an everyday role. Curious if Profar signs with LA to play 2B now.
To paraphrase Henny Youngman–
“Take my Isiah Kiner-Falefa…. PLEASE!”
Where’s Freddy Galvis these days?
Feel bad for the kid. You never want to see this.
This is very sad news for Lux.
Dang, that’s a killer
They do have some options available to fill in. Rojas is a better defender, so they’ll gain there. But, Lux is the better offensive players, so they’ll lose there. CT3 can play there too, if needed.
Sucks for Lux, but I think LA will overcome this as long as the rotation doesn’t have any major setbacks.
IKF to LA for a prospect seems like the best move.
IFK, DJ, Gleyber or Donaldson….take your pick of 1 -3 of them and pay market rate (which is nothing for 1/2 of that list).
Now that there’s no shift maybe they don’t have to play anyone there.
Hopefully we can bring back Cesar Izturis.
IKF
Dodgers can trade for Andrew Velazquez… I’d take an MLB-ready reliever for him.
Cashman, if ever there was a chance to trade IKF, this is it
Think about this though: Boone had the following positional assignments for Detroit v Yankees…
SS – IKF (Second game in a row)
2B – Volpe
3B – Cabrera
Now, on its face it seems to make sense because Volpe will likely be a 2B anyway, especially if Peraza stays on the 26, but… *Volpe is supposed to be the SS of the future, whose currently competing for a job at SS with last year’s “stopgap” IKF.* Thus, why wouldn’t the positional alignment be:
Volpe- SS
IKF – 3B (his natural IF position at which he was GG)
Cabrera – 2B, where he’s played more anyway.
It makes no sense to play TWO players out of position when one of them is your “SS of the future” and the other’s natural position is open anyway….. and he’s not even supposed to be the long-term option, but a stopgap!! Boone intends on starting IKF at SS, imo, and is incapable of making the right choice. He’s waaaaaay too emotive, like a teenage girl.
IKF and Hicks for some pitching depth?
Baez from detroit?
Bring in Andrelton and reunite him with Freeman and Heyward
The trade I could see the Dodgers making is for Brujan from the Rays.
Maybe Ha-seong Kim is still available.
Michael Busch is 25 and MLB ready. He’s a lefty bat. That said, what a horrible injury at a horrible time for Lux. This was his last pre-Arb season.
Busch will get a look in spring training. Some young guys post great numbers right off the bat but most don’t. Takes a few years to ease into MLB. Seager raked right away. Lux has taken a while and this was supposed to be his breakout year.
Cardinals can trade you Paul DeJong
I literally came here to suggest the same thing. I doubt St. Louis is willing to cover part of his salary, but it could be a nice get for LA. Incredibly solid defensively and anything they can get from the bat would be a bonus. It’s not like LA’s offense is in dire need of it.
That is seriously awful. I feel so bad for the guy. I do wonder who they will go and get or if they will wait it out and see what they have that can fill the role.
Trade Lux to Seattle or Chicago? For Crawford or Andrus?
Dodgers need speed. I see a trade with the Orioles for Mateo for young pitcher
It makes sense but I think the O’s value Mateo a little higher than his actual value so it might require a bit of an overpay to snag him. The O’s have a decent amount of SS prospects so I do think they would deal him but they highly value his skillset, exceptional defense and speed. He’s such a talented ballplayer that even a small improvement in hit tool makes him all star level
From the Orioles point of view I can see that being a good trade possibility. Mateo is losing his starting job to Henderson this year.
The Dodgers already have a glove first SS in Rojas. Not sure why they would trade for another but where there is a need things like this happen.
Who are you thinking they would be sending to Baltimore?. Wouldn’t be much. They definitely won’t get a top 100 caliber prospect for Mateo. Maybe a lower level prospects like Frasso or Sheehan that project as relievers? I am just spitballing, because I have no idea what it would take.
Henderson is starting the year at 3rd and will likely stay there. It’s Westburg or Ortiz that are next men up for SS
Elias said at the start of camp that they had not made that decision yet, but he profiles better as a 3B.
Urias or Mateo both work in LA. Both are gold glove caliber, but Urias has some pop and has already shown he is not an offensive liability. That Mateo speed isn’t something you can teach though.
Wonder what LA has in young arms to trade for either (or both if they want)?
Just looked and Mateo is only making $2MM this year and Urias is pre-arb. Wow is the money right on these 2 if LA is trying to go under and set themselves up for a big spend next year after resetting the luxury payroll tax.
Think that they’d have to send a potential starter back though since either/both have so much control. The Orioles have a slew of 4-5 types and bullpen options, what they need desperately is rotation help.
Sux for Lux…. Cashman: Hicks and IKF for some pitching depth???
Sure, minor league pitching depth. IKF could get some interest but nobody is taking Hicks.
Willie Adames pack your bags. You are heading to Cali!!!!
This is horrible news for Lux. I am very sorry for him.
This is a tough loss even though the Dodgers always have the money and depth to cover up injuries. Lux isn’t a star yet but it feels like he has the potential to break out at any moment. The Dodgers are now down both middle infielders from a year ago.
IKF to the Dodgers. In their lineup he will hit .285 and make most of the plays. And he’s only a $6M cap hit.
You never want to see something like this happen. A meaningless spring training game and his opportunity to see regular playing time at a premier position is gone. The way he tore up that knee he may never have the ability to play SS again. So sad. Hoping he heals well and is back on the field in 2024.
We’re probably not going to get a lot more medical details (ACL repair or replacement) but either way that’s a nasty injury with a long rehab time. I had a light-moderate ACL sprain that made just walking painful for months. It still hurts sometimes, 20 years later. That ligament doesn’t get enough blood flow to heal.
That’s a real shame. If you look at the replay he didn’t have to do anything as the throw was nowhere near him. Just human reflexes that made him flinch.
Yep, the play was behind him and he apparently thought the throw was coming for his head.
While this is terrible for Lux I think it’s the best for the Dodgers now. Lux was a below average defender at 2B and never would’ve made it at SS at the big league level. You know the FO knew this by already trading for Rojas. The Dodgers need a more substantial SS than Rojas unless you’re happy with a no-hit decent glove guy there. With the Padres improving and the Dodgers losing Trea Turner the Dodgers need to move on from Lux and upgrade SS. Tommy Edman would be my #1 target.
The kid gets a really bad break so right away it’s time to throw him overboard? Why do I think that isn’t going to be the move?
Finding a better replacement for Lux isn’t “throwing him overboard.”Truth is that Lux was always overrated as the Dodgers typically do with their prospects.
Trying to walk that one back now are you?
No, BlueSkies, not walking back anything..
The Dodgers will try to peddle Lux to another team expecting a huge return. Remember when the Marlins offered Realmuto for Bellinger? All the Dodger fans thought that was ridiculous but here we are a few years later and the Dodgers let Bellinger walk for FREE!!! Meanwhile Realmuto is the undisputed #1 ranked catcher in al of MLB.
If it wasn’t for bad Lux, he wouldn’t have no Lux at all.