WASHINGTON -- As Gavin Lux watched the ball trickle across the infield, you could almost feel the anxiety in the Dodgers’ dugout. Once second baseman Luis García Jr. couldn’t make a diving stop, it was easy to see some relief in Lux’s face as he stood on first base.

But as Lux continues to get into the swing of a Major League season after sitting out an entire year, the Dodgers’ second baseman is just looking for enough small victories to piece everything together.

In the Dodgers’ 11-2 win over the Nationals on Wednesday night at Nationals Park, Lux was able to celebrate a solid performance, recording his first multihit game since March 30, including a big two-out, two-RBI single in the fifth inning that helped Los Angeles pull away.

“Baseball is so much mental,” Lux said. “When you’re slumping and just trying to keep building momentum and then hopefully bring it into the next day. It’s a tough mental game, so you just gotta keep rolling.”

Lux’s struggles have been on full display to start the season. But it’s also important to put into context everything that he has gone through in order to get to this point in his career.

After Lux spent years waiting behind Corey Seager and Trea Turner, it was supposed to be his turn to handle the responsibilities of being the Dodgers’ starting shortstop in 2023. A few games into Cactus League play, that was all wiped away due to an injury.

This spring, Lux had to deal with the disappointment of not being the starting shortstop once again, this time due to his performance on defense. Now he has been dealing with the natural struggles of not performing while also giving himself grace.

“Obviously we all want to perform and put up good numbers and help the team win,” Lux said. “But realistically, you got to take a process-oriented approach when you miss a year and a half full of at-bats. So it’s tough, but you’ve just got to keep grinding. You got no other option.”

During those struggles, Lux has consistently been out on the field early taking batting practice. Last week at Dodger Stadium, Lux was one of a trio of players taking live batting practice against a Minor League pitcher five hours before the game.

“All positive,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts when asked about Lux. “Tonight, I think he was more free and easy. I think we’d like to have those last couple at-bats back from him. But those first three I thought were really quality from him.”

Given the severity of his injury, expecting the same Lux that held down the bottom of the order for most of the 2022 season this early in the 162-game grind was always going to be a tough task. It doesn’t happen that easily after missing an entire season due to injury.

In fact, Padres third baseman Manny Machado, who had to work through major knee injuries at the start of his career, made it a point this spring to seek out Lux and let him know that it’ll take some time to be fully healed from the surgery.

The Dodgers have given Lux that time in the early part of the season. They won’t judge Lux’s start, one way or another, until the second baseman gets at least 150 at-bats. Little by little, Lux is starting to show some signs.

“It was great,” said Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts. “It’s going to take all nine of us to win ballgames, and he knows that. He’s grinding. He’s working his butt off. That’s all you can ask for.”

The rest of the Dodgers’ lineup all took turns against the Nationals’ pitching staff on Wednesday, putting up a club season-high 20 hits. Will Smith and Betts were responsible for eight of those. Max Muncy also contributed with a 2-for-3, one-RBI night. Andy Pages homered, and Shohei Ohtani delivered with three more doubles, pushing his Major League lead to 14 on the season.

All of those were clear positives for the Dodgers. But in the long term, they know they’ll be at their best if they can get the Lux they saw all through the Minors and earlier in his career.

“You definitely want results,” Lux said. “When you're just grinding away in the cage all day and you don't get it, it's tough. But you just got to keep going with it. It’ll eventually even out. Baseball is 162 games for a reason.”