GLENDALE, Ariz. — Gavin Lux is returning to shortstop after two seasons away from the position and a major knee injury. Max Muncy is coming off a poor defensive season at third base.
But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier this spring that the left-side defense “should be a strength – it shouldn’t be a detriment, for sure.”
Wednesday’s Cactus League game gave reason for concern, however – particularly with Lux.
Lux has made two errors this spring, one on a ground ball, the other on a throw. That throwing error is the only time this spring that Lux has gotten the ball to first base in the air. He has repeatedly spiked throws in the dirt (or grass) well short of the first baseman even on routine plays.
“With Gavin, it’s just more of continuing to run him out there so he can build confidence in how he’s catching the ball, his footwork and getting the ball across the diamond,” Roberts said after Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
“I’m not going to let a small sample – right now – of what we’ve seen. I just expect it to keep getting better with repetitions.”
Lux has had throwing issues in the past similar to what he’s shown this spring. He disappeared from Cactus League games one spring, spending time instead on a back field working on his footwork and throwing with instructor Jose Vizcaino.
Roberts acknowledged that this spring’s misfires seem to be largely mental in nature.
“Yeah, I think so,” Roberts said. “To do anything where you’re trying to be perfect is difficult and I do think there’s some part of it where he hasn’t played baseball in quite some time. So as he’s making plays and the transition as he’s trying to get it across the diamond, he’s trying to be too fine with it. I don’t think it’s the mechanics of it. I think it’s just freeing himself up to be free and be the athlete that he is.”
Roberts said he isn’t worried about Lux.
“But I think we just have to understand that it still takes time to get back up to major-league speed and feel that once the bell rings that it’ll be there where it needs to be,” Roberts said.
RUNNING GAME
On base in each of his three plate appearances Wednesday (two singles and a walk), Shohei Ohtani made things happen with his legs. In the first inning, Ohtani tagged up from first base on a sacrifice fly by Freddie Freeman. In the second, he stole second base, allowing Andy Pages to score from third base when the return throw was late.
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There is an expectation that Ohtani might run the bases more aggressively this year without having to save himself for pitching. He might be the fastest player on the Dodgers’ roster.
Freeman will bat behind him and said Ohtani asked if there were times Freeman wouldn’t want him to go (keeping the right side of the infield open for the left-handed Freeman).
“I’ll take every time. Every time he goes, I’ll take the pitch,” Freeman said. “He asked me if there were any counts or anything (when he wouldn’t want Ohtani to run), I said, ‘No, go for it.’ I want him in scoring position. I hope he steals 100.”
ALSO
Walker Buehler left camp last weekend to attend a funeral. He threw to hitters in a live batting practice session last week, threw a bullpen session on Monday and is scheduled to throw to hitters again on Thursday.