TORN ACL DIAGNOSIS FOR DODGERS’ LUX
Gavin Lux hasn’t seen the video of the injury that ended his chance of being the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting shortstop this season, and has no plans to watch it.
Lux will miss the season with torn ligaments in his right knee after getting hurt running the bases in a spring training game. The 25-yearold came to camp as the top candidate to replace Trea Turner as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop.
“That’s one of the hardest parts,” Lux said Tuesday, fighting back tears and leaning on crutches inside the team’s facility in Glendale, Ariz. “I think every baseball player’s dream is to play shortstop for the Los
Angeles Dodgers.”
Lux got hurt Monday when running between second and third base against the Padres after a ground ball was hit to third. Soon after ducking to avoid a throw to second, he took a couple of steps before his right knee buckled, he stumbled forward and fell to the ground. He said he felt something pop and his leg went numb.
“I think my cleat got kind of stuck into the ground a little bit and straightened out a little funky, and bowed out. Freak thing. I don’t even think it’s really avoidable,” Lux said. “In hindsight, probably should have just took the throw to the nose and worn it.”
The Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft, Lux played nine games at shortstop last season while hitting .276 with six homers and 42 RBIs in 129 games, most at second base and some in left field. He led the NL with seven triples.
Turner left as a free agent for Philadelphia this winter. That came after Corey Seager left the Dodgers the previous offseason and signed with Texas.
Miguel Rojas is now expected to get the bulk of playing time at shortsto, with Chris Taylor also an option. Rojas, 34, was acquired from Miami in a January trade.
“Crush my rehab and try to be ready for 2024, when it rolls around,” Lux said. “It’s kind of all you can do.”
Spring ‘Sho’
Shohei Ohtani pitched 21⁄3 hitless innings in his only spring training outing on the mound for the Angels before he joins Japan for the World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani struck out two and walked two, but had no issues with his pitches or the new clock. The two-way star, expected to start the season opener for Los Angeles, didn’t bat.
“The main goal today was to feel out all my pitches. I felt pretty good with all of them,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I wanted to ease in. I’m satisfied.”
Hurting starter Tyler Glasnow
will miss the start of another season for the Tampa Bay Rays.
After not making his debut last season until September following Tommy John surgery, the 29-yearold Glasnow is expected to miss six to eight weeks because of a left oblique strain.
The Rays said Tuesday that an MRI detected a grade 2 strain. That came a day after the 6-foot-8 righthander, who signed a $30.35 million, two-year contract, cut short a live batting practice session after throwing six pitches.
Feeling rushed
Veteran lefty Jose Quintana felt a bit rushed in his spring training debut for the Mets. He gave up four extrabase hits and five runs while getting only two outs on 30 pitches against Houston.
Quintana admitted he was rushing when his outing started because he was conscious of the new pitch clock.
“I tried to be on time. I need to be more aggressive and don’t worry about the clock,” he said.
Only one Rogers
Taylor Rogers struck out two of the three batters he faced in his spring debut for the Giants, but his twin brother didn’t pitch Tuesday as planned.
Manager Gabe Kapler said Tyler Rogers, who has been with the Giants for four seasons, had a cut on his right index finger.
Taylor Rogers finished last season with Milwaukee after appearing in 42 games for the Padres.