Dodgers News: Roberts Says Chris Taylor Will Ramp Up at Shortstop Following Loss of Gavin Lux

Although Taylor has been a valuable utility player for the team, he now has to step up in other areas to fill the new gap.

The Dodgers recently suffered a significant blow to their infield after Gavin Lux went down this week with an ACL injury that is keeping him out of the entire 2023 season. Despite this news, manager Dave Roberts is confident that Chris Taylor will be able to step up and fill the void left by Lux's absence.

Taylor has been a valuable utility player for LA over the past few seasons, and is capable of playing shortstop.

Speaking to reporters after the injury to Lux, Roberts shared how the team will lean on Taylor to handle the shortstop position this upcoming season. Although Roberts mentioned before that Taylor's previous elbow injury may make it better for him to be in the outfield, Roberts assured that Taylor can indeed make the shift. 

"I talked to Chris, he is 100% healthy. Now it's just getting on the throwing program to make sure that he can handle the throw from shortstop. He's aware of that. He feels confident in that and so, now the bouncing around from short to potentially play a little bit of third base, if he needs to spell Max and then play a little left field. So we're confident he can do that."

With the loss of Lux, players like Taylor will have to adapt and step up wherever needed. Lux was expected to play a significant role this season as he was set to become the starter at short after Trea Turner departed from Los Angeles. 

As CT3 takes on this shortstop position, he will certainly have to hone in on his defensive skills to become more comfortable overall with this new task.

With Taylor's versatility, the team has a capable replacement who can help them continue to compete at a high level. As the season unfolds, the team will truly get a feel for how well they can adjust to the loss of one of their key players.