Gavin Lux, the second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, exited Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday due to hip flexor tightness. This decision was made as a precautionary measure.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented post-game, following a 9-0 victory, that he anticipates Lux will be ready for Game 2 on Monday. “We wanted to be extra cautious,” Roberts stated. “I think he’ll be fine. Whether he’s in the Game 2 lineup or not, he’ll be available.”
During the game, Lux went 0 for 1 with a walk and scored on a second-inning single by Shohei Ohtani. The injury’s exact cause remains unclear, but he was taken out after grounding out in the fifth and played only a routine inning at second base in the sixth.
Kevin Kiermaier stepped in for Lux, hitting eighth and taking over in center field, while Kiké Hernández shifted from center to second base. Lux has recorded a batting average of .263 (5 for 19) in six postseason games.
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Lux enjoyed a healthy regular season after missing the previous year due to a serious knee injury. He faced challenges early on but found his rhythm, hitting .309 with a .396 on-base percentage and .517 slugging over the last 60 games. This performance not only secured his position in the lineup but also quashed any trade rumors surrounding him.
Drafted by the Dodgers in the first round in 2016, Lux is in his fifth postseason with the team. He came into Sunday’s game with a .236 career playoff batting average, including two home runs and five RBIs across 23 postseason games.
During the regular season, Lux recorded a .252 average with 28 home runs, 155 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases over 412 games from 2019-2024. In the Dodgers’ recent NLDS five-game victory over the San Diego Padres, he batted .278 with three runs.
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The Dodgers entered the NLCS after throwing 24 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason. Their shutout win over the Mets tied the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest streak at 33 consecutive scoreless innings in a single postseason.
The Dodgers are set to face the Mets again on Monday for Game 2 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium.