The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Dodgers shifting Betts to shortstop, Lux to 2B
ARIZ. >> The Dodgers have decided they can’t wait for Gavin Lux to work out his throwing issues at shortstop.
The lineup for Friday night’s Cactus League game had Mookie Betts at shortstop and Gavin Lux at second base. That is how the team will go into the season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts was asked if the change was “permanent for now” or just a temporary arrangement.
“Your words,” Roberts said. “But I like that. Permanent, for now.”
After letting All-stars Corey Seager and then Trea Turner leave as free agents, the Dodgers handed Lux the starting shortstop job last spring, returning him to the position he played primarily on his way up through the minor leagues. But Lux suffered a season-ending knee injury during spring training.
When he returned this spring, it was once again as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop. But repeated misfires on throws from shortstop recalled throwing issues Lux had in previous seasons (most obviously in 2019) and the Dodgers decided to make a move.
“I think that, where we’re at on the calendar, just to make this move right now — it’s something that the entire organization feels is the right thing to do to give us the best chance to prevent runs and to win baseball games,” Roberts said. “I think that, specific to Gavin, it gives him an opportunity to get to the other side of the diamond. He’s actually played more second base than shortstop in the last few years. So to get him back over there, shorten the throw, it should be less of a toll on his body overall and give him an opportunity to have success.”
Betts, meanwhile, keeps getting farther away from right field, the position where he won six Gold Gloves.
A second baseman on his way up in the Boston Red Sox system, Betts hadn’t played shortstop since 2012 in Class-a before starting 12 games there for the Dodgers last season.
“We’re all on the same page here,” Betts said. “We don’t care what happens. We just want to win. We don’t care how we really get there. The most important thing is winning. As for me, I don’t care. I genuinely do not care. I’ve said this a million times. I just want to win. You can put me wherever. As long as I’m on the diamond, I’m going to do the best I can do and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Betts said he has not played shortstop on a regular basis “probably since my senior year in high school.” He now faces a crash course to refresh himself on the responsibilities that come with his new position.
“You’re not ever worried about the emotional side of things or the psychological side of things as far as the positional change with Mookie,” Roberts said. “The bet is that he’s only going to get better as he takes more repetitions.”
The psychological side appears to be the issue with Lux. Earlier this week, Roberts agreed his misfires were “mental” in nature and not just a product of poor mechanics or footwork. Leaving him at the position would create the possibility of his problems spiraling and becoming worse.
“I think so. There’s a lot that goes into it (the decision),” Roberts said. “To really care about the player and his well-being and success mentally, emotionally and physically, is part of the job. And then you look at it on the bigger scale as far as the team and what gives the team the best chance — and we’re speaking specifically to defense — to prevent runs. So we just feel with what we’ve known and with Gavin handling second base, that’s the floor, which was already really good. And we just feel that Mookie can handle the move to the other side of the diamond.”
Betts said the conversation among the players involved was “cool.” He said he spoke with Lux separately as well.
“I called him and said, ‘Bro, nothing’s changed, other than your view to home plate. We’re still up the middle together. We still are doing this thing together. So it doesn’t really matter,’” Betts said. “We’re going to the same place. We have the same goal in mind. I don’t think anybody cares how we get there.”
Roberts said the Dodgers hope the position change will “alleviate some — I don’t want to say pressure — but just whatever anxiousness he might have had.” Lux took the news well enough, Roberts said, echoing Betts’ comment about winning being paramount.
“Obviously, there’s some disappointment. I’d be surprised if there weren’t,” Roberts said. “But he’s a professional and he’s gonna embrace being our starting second baseman.”
The Dodgers have other, more experienced, options to play shortstop in Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernandez and even Chris Taylor. But moving Betts allows them to keep Lux in the lineup.
“He’s just such a threat offensively,” Roberts said. “So for us as an organization to do anything we can to find a way to get him in the lineup I think is a smart thing to do.”