Dodgers lose Lux all season to injury

Gavin Lux hasn’t watched video of the injury that robbed him of a chance to be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting shortstop next season.

He has no intention of seeing him either.

Lux will be missing all season with torn ligaments in his right knee. The player was injured while running around bases during spring training.

At 25, he had come to camp as a favorite to replace Trea Turner as the Dodgers’ lead shortstop.

“It’s one of the toughest parts,” Lux said Tuesday, fighting back tears and leaning on crutches inside the club’s facility in Glendale, Arizona. “I think any player would dream of playing shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers.”

Lux was injured Monday while running between second and third in a preseason game against San Diego, trying to advance on a pitch at third base. Ducking to avoid being hit by a throw in second position, he took a few steps before his right knee gave way awkwardly.

The runner staggered before falling. He said he felt a snap in his leg, before it went numb.

“I think the spikes got a little stuck in the dirt, and the leg came out a little weird, arched… It was a scary thing, I don’t even know if it really could have been avoided. In retrospect, I think it would have been better if the shot had hit me in the nose.”

Selected by the Dodgers in the 2016 entry draft, Lux played in nine games at shortstop last season, hitting .276 with six home runs and 42 RBIs in 129 games, mostly at second and some at left field.

He led the National League with seven hat-tricks.

Turner left as a free agent for Philadelphia this winter. Corey Seager had left a year earlier, for Texas.

Miguel Rojas is now expected to play mostly shortstop, with Chris Taylor another option. Rojas, 34, was acquired from Miami in January in a trade.

IN CLASSIC WITH JAPAN

Shohei Ohtani pitched 2 1/3 innings in his only preseason outing with the Los Angeles Angels before joining Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

Ohtani hit a few and walked two, but had no issues with his pitches or the new pitch clock.

The star, who would open the season with Los Angeles, did not knock.

“The main goal today was to feel all my shots. I was good with everyone,” Ohtani said. “I wanted to relax and I’m satisfied.”

QUINTNA

Veteran left-hander Jose Quintana felt a little rushed in his preseason debut with the New York Mets. He allowed four extra hits and five runs while getting just two outs on 30 pitches against Houston.

Quintana admitted that he rushed the start of his departure because he was aware of the new shot clock.

“I tried to do it on time. I had to be more aggressive and I didn’t care about the time,” he said.

At 34, Quintana signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Mets. He plans to make another start in the pre-season before leaving to represent Colombia in the World Classic.