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When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Gavin Lux last month, the baseball world was surprised.
On paper, the shrinking availability around the infield made it apparent that a deal would have to be made. It was still striking that a homegrown talent who first appeared for L.A. in 2019 would be the one let go.
As reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Dodgers faithful were not the only ones shocked by the move.
“It was a little bit of a surprise, but it’s a business,” Lux said to The Athletic. “It is what it is. … I think going through the knee stuff, dealing with that adversity, kind of set me up to be prepared for anything that gets thrown your way a little bit.”
As he was gearing up to be the shortstop of the future for Los Angeles, Lux tore his ACL and LCL during spring training in 2023, sidelining him for the entire season.
As he rehabbed to be back stronger than ever, 2024 saw him hit career-highs in home runs (10), RBIs (50), and games played (139). His final at-bat as a Dodger proved to be crucial as it was an 8th inning game-tying sacrifice fly in Game 5 of the World Series.
L.A. would take the lead to secure its eighth World Series victory two batters later.
Lux spoke on what it meant to be traded after such a monumental championship run.
“It was emotional at first. I mean, we just won the World Series, too. It’s pretty much the only place I’ve ever known and the only staff I’ve ever known,” Lux said to The Athletic. “I’ve got a lot of love for those guys over there and the staff and I’ve got a lot of good relationships with those guys. It was emotional at first, but once it kind of dies down, you just kind of get excited to be around your new team and meet the guys and just try to get past all that so you can go win games.”
It will certainly take some getting used to seeing Lux on the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, but Dodgers fans will have their hands full as L.A. looks to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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