Gavin Lux’s return to Dodgers comes with a new position

LOS ANGELES ― Gavin Lux had an interesting couple of weeks at Triple-A. He saw time at four positions and designated hitter. He did not commit an error. And he hit well enough that the Dodgers figured Lux could do something that, as Manager Dave Roberts said Friday, “might spark us.”

The Dodgers’ lineup could use a spark. Entering their weekend series against the San Diego Padres, their number-5 through number-9 hitters had the lowest on-base plus slugging percentage in baseball since the All-Star break. It’s a development that is hard to fathom from the team with the sport’s highest payroll, and it’s a problem the Dodgers have struggled to solve internally.

Enter Lux, who had never played the outfield in a major league game before Friday. The Dodgers recalled him from Triple-A Oklahoma City and installed him as their left fielder and number-7 hitter for the series opener against the San Diego Padres. Pitcher Andre Jackson was optioned to make room for Lux on the 28-man roster.

The Dodgers’ starting second baseman on Opening Day, Lux shifted to shortstop when Corey Seager fractured his hand in May. The 23-year-old held the position down but saw his batting average fall to .227 by July 18, when he strained a left hamstring and was placed on the 10-day injured list.

When Trea Turner arrived in a deadline trade with the Washington Nationals, the veteran accepted a move to second base. When Seager returned to play shortstop, Lux was out of a position. So he went to Oklahoma City and learned a few new ones.

“The reports have been good,” Roberts said. “He’s taken balls there the last few weeks in left, in center, in right. The most important thing is he wants to do whatever he can to help the ballclub and get in the lineup.”

In his final nine games at Triple-A, Lux batted .293 (12 for 41) with one homer and eight RBIs. Although Roberts said Lux could also see time at third base and second base, Lux spent his pregame time Friday in left field.

Lux’s runway back to the majors comes at the expense of Cody Bellinger, who entered the weekend with a .158 batting average – the lowest by any player with at least 200 plate appearances this season.

Bellinger won’t be in the lineup for the first two games of the series, even though the Padres are starting right-handed pitchers (Joe Musgrove and Chris Paddack) on Friday and Saturday. Bellinger had recently been platooned only when a left-hander was on the mound.

“I’m going to give Cody a few days just to kind of work through some things,” Roberts said.

BEATY BACK

Billy McKinney was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hip impingement and Matt Beaty was recalled from Triple-A.

Beaty has a .262 batting average, .358 on-base percentage and a .374 slugging percentage in 105 games this season. He took ground balls at first base prior to Friday’s game.

McKinney had been the primary defensive replacement for Mookie Betts in right field. He was hitting .146 (12 for 82) with one home run in 37 games since joining the Dodgers in a July trade with the New York Mets.

Coincidentally, Beaty and Lux were optioned to Triple-A on the same day, Aug. 26, which prevented them from being recalled when rosters expanded on Sept. 1.

ALSO

For the second consecutive game, Betts swapped places with Trea Turner, with the former batting third and the latter batting first. Roberts said the new arrangement will get a trial run: “I like the way Mookie sees more pitches. His DNA is to get on base. I think that dynamic of getting on base sets it up for everyone else in the order. Trea is much more a free swinger. Gets on base by way of getting hits. That kind of bat-to-ball, doubles, homers, will create some run production from him.” … Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen session Friday and remains on track to start Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kershaw, who made a three-inning minor league rehabilitation start Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, will be limited to four innings Monday, Roberts said. … Rehabbing left-hander Danny Duffy was also scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Walker Buehler, 13-3, 2.31 ERA) vs. San Diego (RHP Chris Paddack, 7-6, 4.95 ERA), Saturday, 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM