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Dodgers' Roberts: 'There is no conspiracy theory,' Lux isn't ready

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The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't in a hurry to recall top infield prospect Gavin Lux, but manager Dave Roberts is adamant that the team is not attempting to manipulate his service time to gain an extra year of control.

"First of all, there is no conspiracy theory of holding Gavin Lux down, for any other reason besides that we don’t feel he’s ready right now," Roberts said, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Lux was a popular preseason pick for the NL Rookie of the Year, but the Dodgers didn't include him on the Opening Day roster.

The 22-year-old arrived late to summer camp and was subsequently sent to the team's alternate training site when he didn't impress with his play upon arrival.

Lux made his MLB debut in 2019 but maintained rookie status because he only had 82 plate appearances. He hit .240/.305/.400 with a pair of home runs and nine RBIs in limited action after storming through Triple-A with 13 round-trippers and a .392 batting average in 49 games before his call-up.

Lux's stock did not drop in his absence. He's ranked the No. 2 prospect in baseball behind Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco, according to MLB Pipeline.

Enrique Hernandez, Max Muncy, and Chris Taylor have all gotten reps at the keystone for the Dodgers this season, and Roberts says Lux won't get the call until the team thinks he's ready to be a regular, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.

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