Certainly Gavin Lux has fond memories of his time playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And why wouldn't he? Drafted in the first round (20th overall) by Los Angeles in 2016, Lux, who made his MLB debut as a September callup in 2019, was with the Dodgers during a stretch that saw them win the World Series in 2020 and 2024, while also advancing to the NL Championship Series in 2021. What could be more fun than that?
Well, according to Lux, his current season with the Reds tops anything that Lux experienced during his time in the Dodgers organization.
Traded to Cincinnati in early January for the Reds’ Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 37 overall) and 21-year-old outfielder Mike Sirota, the Dodgers’ No. 20 prospect who is currently playing at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Lux was asked after a recent game about the last time he enjoyed showing up to the ballpark as much as he has this season. After pondering the question for a moment, the 27-year-old Kenosha, WI, native, reminisced about a period from way back.
“Probably high school,” Lux said. “This is a fun group. Everyone’s pretty close, it’s a young group, and just coming to the field every day, it’s obviously a lot of fun.”
Having some personal success probably helps with the enjoyment factor, and Lux has given the Reds everything they could have hoped for in 2025. Through 30 games and 101 at bats, Lux is batting .317, which entering Friday’s action was seventh in the National League, and he’s fourth in the league with a .410 on-base percentage. Lux’s versatility has also paid dividends for the Reds, as Lux has played left field, second base and third base through the first month-plus of the season.
“It’s always good to get results, but I’m just trying to compete and help the team win in any way,” said Lux, who missed the 2023 season with an ACL injury. “Getting on base, it’s kind of just been my thought process. My swing itself doesn’t really feel great right now, so it’s just trying to go into compete mode and take care of my approach and game plan.”
De La Cruz Hit Streak Spurs Reds
As a team, the Cincinnati Reds appear to be in compete mode as well. After losing their first four games in April to fall to 2-6, Cincinnati won 14 of its next 21 games. Following a doubleheader sweep to the St. Louis Cardinals on the last day of April, the Reds won 9-1 on Thursday to split the four-game series and improve to 17-15, two games behind Chicago for second place in the NL Central Division.
Shortstop Elly De La Cruz has started to heat up for the Reds. An 0-for-4 outing on April 15 had lowered his batting average to .224, but De La Cruz has hit in 14 straight games, including four multi-hit games in the last six, raising his average to .284, and he currently leads the NL with 13 stolen bases and is tied for eighth with 24 RBIs.
Cincinnati outfielder Austin Hays opened the season on the injured list, but he has hit in 10 of his 13 games since returning, including seven multi-hit games, and in 52 at bats, Hays has posted a slash line of .365/.431/.712. Third baseman Noelvi Marte was brought up from Triple-A Louisville on April 17, and he is batting .328 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 16 games. The Reds’ catching duo of Jose Trevino (.324/.365/.544 line in 68 at bats) and Austin Wynns (.394/.444/.697 in 33 at bats) has also been a pleasant surprise.
The Reds’ starting pitching has been impressive in the early goings, combining for a 3.60 ERA that ranks fourth among NL rotations. Hunter Greene (3-2, 2.70) is tied for seventh in the league with 43 strikeouts, and with just 25 hits and six walks allowed in 36.2 innings, his WHIP of 0.85 is good for second place among all NL starters. Also leading the starting staff are Brady Singer (4-1, 3.24), Nick Lodolo (3-2, 2.25) and Andrew Abbott (2-0, 2.84). Emilio Pagan is tied for third in the league with eight saves.
Suzuki Heats Up as Chicago Remains in First Place
The Chicago Cubs won two of three at Pittsburgh this week and take a 19-13 record into a weekend series at Milwaukee.
Designated hitter Seiya Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs on Thursday, as Chicago took the series with a 9-3 win over Paul Skenes and the Pirates. Suzuki also hit a homer as part of his 3-for-4 effort in the Cubs’ 9-0 win on Tuesday, and he is batting .295 with a team-high nine home runs and 28 RBIs, which is tied with Kyle Tucker, who also homered on Thursday. It was Tucker’s eighth homer of the season, and he is batting .278 overall with 27 runs scored, which is third in the NL. Pete Crow-Armstrong is batting .266 with 12 stolen bases, one behind De La Cruz for the league lead.
Despite the loss of Justin Steele to season-ending elbow surgery, Chicago’s starting rotation is third in the NL with a 3.59 ERA. Shota Imanaga (3-1, 2.77) has led the staff, while Matthew Boyd (2-2, 2.70) and Colin Rea (2-0, 1.46) have also been key to the Cubs’ early success.
Bullpen Struggles for Streaky Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Brewers have been a streaky team so far in 2025. Milwaukee ended April with three consecutive wins, which followed a four-game losing streak, but an 8-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday dropped the Brewers to 16-16, three games behind the Cubs for third place in the division as they prepare to host their Windy City rivals this weekend.
Second baseman Brice Turang, who opened the season with hits in 12 straight games, continues to be one of Milwaukee’s offensive leaders, batting .311 with 28 runs, which is second in the NL. Outfielder Sal Frelick is batting .304 for the Brewers, while outfielder Jackson Chourio is leading the team with 24 RBIs, tied for eighth in the league.
Milwaukee’s bullpen has struggled through the first month-plus, with a 4.90 ERA that is 13th in the NL. The team’s starters have fared better, ranking sixth with a 3.71 ERA, with Jose Quintana (4-0, 1.14) and Freddy Peralta (3-2, 2.52) leading the way.
Offense Lacking as Pittsburgh Falls to 12-20
With the series loss to the Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates dropped to 12-20, seven games behind Chicago and two behind St. Louis (14-18) for last place in the NL Central as San Diego comes to Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend set.
The Pirates are batting just .224 as a team, second-to-last in the NL behind the historically-bad Colorado Rockies. Catcher Joey Bart (.293) and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.280) are among the team’s lone offensive bright spots. Center fielder Oneil Cruz leads the team with eight home runs, 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, which is tied for second in the NL.
While Pittsburgh’s team ERA ranks in the middle of the league, the individual pitching performances have mostly been either very good or very bad. Among the top starters, Andrew Heaney (2-2, 2.50) is fourth in the NL with a WHIP of 0.89, while Paul Skenes (3-3, 2.74) sits just behind him at 0.91. The Pirates also boast a quartet of relievers with an ERA under 2.00, including Justin Lawrence (0.79), Chase Shugart (1.42), Dennis Santana (1.46) and Caleb Ferguson (1.88).