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GLENDALE, Arizona — With just two weeks left in the Opening Series in Seoul, South Korea, against the Padres, the Dodgers have made a change at shortstop.
All winter and into camp, the Dodgers relied on Gavin Lux to handle the bulk of the responsibilities at shortstop. But as Lux’s pitching woes continued this spring, the Dodgers are now handing the keys to the position to Mookie Betts, who entered the season as the club’s starting second baseman.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the decision to have the 2023 National League MVP runner-up at shortstop is “permanent, for now.” Betts was the starting shortstop in the Dodgers’ Cactus League game on Friday, and he is expected to play four more games at that position before flying to South Korea.
“Just making this move now is something that the entire organization feels is the right thing to do to give us the best opportunity to avoid runs and win baseball games,” Roberts said Friday. “I think, specifically for Gavin, he gives him the opportunity to get to the other side of the diamond and he’s actually played more second base than shortstop the last few years. So, getting him back there, shortening the throw, should be less of a cost to his body overall and give him a chance to be successful.”
The decision to move Betts to shortstop was not one the organization had considered when they arrived at camp this spring. But after watching Lux struggle in game situations this spring, concerns about whether he could handle the demands of the position continued to grow.
Even after Lux made two errors on his first two downs this spring, the Dodgers were willing to call him rust on the former top prospect. After all, Lux had missed the entire 2023 season due to major surgery on his right knee to repair a torn ACL and ACL. But those concerns only grew on Wednesday when Lux’s launch problems became apparent.
Lux had a throwing error, but also had a couple of bounced throws that were caught by first baseman Freddie Freeman. In 2019, Lux also had trouble shooting on the other side of the diamond. The Dodgers believe making this move early this spring will help Lux play freely and won’t affect his offense, which has been solid in the Cactus League.
“Really caring about the player and their mental, emotional and physical well-being and success is part of the job,” Roberts said. “And then you look at it on a larger scale as far as the team and what gives the team the best opportunity, and we’re talking specifically about defense, to prevent runs.”
Roberts said the conversation with Lux and Betts took place Thursday and that both players approved of the decision, although the Dodgers manager admitted there was some natural disappointment on the part of Lux, who prepared all offseason as the team’s shortstop. .
“The conversation was great,” said Betts, who called Lux after the meeting with Roberts. “We are all on the same page here. We don’t care what happens. We just want to win. We don’t care how we actually get there. The most important thing is to win. As for me, I don’t care. I really do not care. I’ve said it a million times. I just want to win. You can put me anywhere. “As long as I’m on the diamond, I’ll do my best and we’ll see what happens after that.”
The Dodgers could have also taken Miguel Rojas as their shortstop, but that would have been a significant downgrade to the offense. Moving Betts to shortstop, where he played 16 games at the position last season, allows the Dodgers to keep both Betts and Lux in the lineup, which they believe is their best lineup. Lux, of course, also served as the team’s starting second baseman in 2022.
Roberts also clarified that Betts at shortstop is not a platoon situation. Betts will be the shortstop most nights, while Lux will be at second base against right-handed pitchers. It’s a drastic change, especially this late in the spring, but the Dodgers believe it’s necessary to be at their best this season.
“It’s definitely a change. But it’s also fun,” Betts said. “You can’t put more pressure on it. There’s always a lot of pressure, especially being a Dodger, it’s a lot of pressure. So being a Dodger, being the shortstop for the Dodgers, it’s a lot of pressure. But I like it.”