Dodgers' Top Prospect Gavin Lux to Be Recalled on Monday; Batting .347 in Minors

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the team is promoting top prospect Gavin Lux, who will start and play second base on Monday against the Colorado Rockies, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.

Ron Cervenka of Think Blue LA first reported the move.

The 21-year-old batted .347 and slugged .607 with 26 home runs and 76 RBI in 113 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

MLB.com ranks Lux as the ninth-best prospect in baseball, and he was 11th in Baseball Prospectus' list of the 50 top prospects at midseason:

"He's made consistent improvements to his offensive game since the beginning of the 2018 season, unexpectedly surging to become a top global prospect. He was already a polished defender, likely to stay at the six, but certainly capable of handling other positions. He always showed an advanced plate approach for his levels, too. But now, we expect an above-average outcome in both hit and power as well, and he's already knocking on the door of the majors."

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Dodgers were refusing to include Lux in a proposed trade for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez. The deal never materialized, and Vazquez stayed in Pittsburgh through the trade deadline.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Fox earlier this month that Lux's call-up was a possibility but wasn't necessarily a straightforward move:

Assuming Lux is now headed to the big leagues, their decision was likely a little easier after they placed Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right wrist fracture. Muncy is hopeful he can be back after two weeks, though his return date remains unclear.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday that Los Angeles was "still strongly contemplating bringing up" Lux and that he'd have a meaningful role on the team should he make the move.

Lux could potentially take over as the everyday second baseman, thus moving Kike Hernandez to the bench. Hernandez's presence allows for the Dodgers to take a more patient approach with Lux, however, if they're wary of rushing him into the middle of a pennant race.

Los Angeles is 17 games up in the National League West and has a 4.5-game lead for the NL's best record (88-50). FanGraphs gives the Dodgers the second-best odds (18 percent) of winning the World Series.

Assuming he can successfully transition from the minors to MLB, Lux is yet another luxury piece for what is already one of MLB's most potent offenses.