Dave Roberts wasn’t quite ready to bench struggling second baseman Gavin Lux in favor of Kiké Hernández, but Lux was beginning to test the patience of the Dodgers manager as his slump extended into a third week and the playoffs drew near.
Lux was one of baseball’s best hitters for seven weeks after the All-Star break, batting .347 with a 1.043 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, seven homers, 14 doubles and 21 RBIs in 40 games from July 20 to Sept. 4. But that bat went into a deep freeze this month, the left-handed-hitting Lux hitting .