Reds manager David Bell confirmed Monday that Votto (shoulder/biceps) will open the season on the 10-day injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Though Votto made a push late in spring training to be ready to go for Opening Day, the Reds will ultimately give him more time to build up after he underwent surgery last August to repair a torn left rotator cuff and a torn left bicep. Votto hasn't hit any reported snags in his recovery since making his Cactus League debut March 12, so he should be ready to report to Triple-A Louisville to begin a rehab assignment Friday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Tyler Stephenson and Wil Myers both made multiple starts at first base during Cactus League play and should serve as the primary replacements at the position until Votto is cleared to return from the IL.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Could open season on injured list
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Votto (shoulder/biceps) said prior to Saturday's Cactus League game that he could open the 2023 season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "I just want to make sure I'm clear: This is a performance-based game," Votto said. "You have to do your job. And I can't come back early, tank and embarrass our organization. I have to come back, perform well and be healthy."
Votto has been able to play for two weeks in the Cactus League after recovering from a torn rotator cuff and left biceps surgery that ended his 2023 season. As Nightengale notes, however, Votto is still in the process of reaching enough at-bats and defensive innings to feel comfortable enough for the beginning of the season. Votto should thus be in line for a short stint on the IL if he isn't cleared to break camp with the big club, but the assumption that he would be ready for the start of the season may have been slightly premature.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Will play deeper into spring games
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Votto will play deeper into spring games as the Cactus League progresses, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Votto was able to make his spring debut Sunday, and the Reds have understandably monitored his reps as he is returning from a torn rotator cuff and left biceps injury that ended his 2022 season prematurely. The former MVP should be ready for Opening Day, and likely will see most of his playing time as the starting first baseman for the Reds.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Making spring debut Sunday
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Votto is hitting second and playing first base Sunday in a Cactus League game against the Dodgers.
It will be the first appearance of the spring for Votto, as the veteran first baseman has been brought along slowly after missing the end of the 2022 campaign with a torn rotator cuff and a left bicep injury. The 39-year-old is not the fantasy stalwart he once was, but his fantastic approach at the plate still should allow him to get on base at a solid clip, and hitting near the top of the Reds' lineup does give him the opportunity to help in the runs category.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Appears in minor-league spring game
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Votto (shoulder/biceps) saw plate appearances Friday in a minor-league game, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
In one of the plate appearances, Votto was able to draw one of his trademark walks. The former MVP is working his way back from surgery to repair his left bicep along with a torn rotator cuff in August. There's still no timetable as to when Votto will be able to rejoin the Reds, but it's a positive development that he's getting action against live pitching at this point in the spring.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Return date remains uncertain
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Votto (shoulder/biceps) continues to look good while going through long daily batting practice sessions and taking defensive reps at first base, but there's still no timetable for him to see spring training game action, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The longer Votto remains out of game action, the more likely it is that he'll begin the regular season on the IL. While he has been out, the Reds have split first base duties between Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jason Vosler. Interestingly enough, Wil Myers hasn't yet played first base, spending his time instead in right field this spring.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Still no timetable for return
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Votto (shoulder/biceps) said Wednesday that he remains without a timetable for when he'll be able to return to game action, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I want to make sure when I come back, I come back ready," Votto said. "It's not more complicated than that."
The first baseman noted that he's been making good progress and is feeling good while he works his way back from August surgery to repair his left bicep along with a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. Votto is expected to miss at least the first half of the Reds' Cactus League slate, and even if he's able to play in exhibition games in the second half of March, he could still require a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Participates in BP
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Votto (shoulder) took batting practice on Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Votto is expected to miss the first half of the Cactus League season in Arizona as he recovers from surgery to address a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. It's obviously a positive sign that the former MVP is able to swing the bat early in the spring season, however, and it stands to reason that he'll be ready to hit in the middle of the Cincinnati order at the start of the 2023 campaign.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Sitting out initial spring games
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Manager David Bell said Sunday that Votto (shoulder) will likely miss the Reds' first handful of Cactus League games while the veteran first baseman begins ramping up, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Votto is on the mend from August surgery to address a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, but at this stage of the spring, the Reds are apparently optimistic that he still has sufficient time to complete the ramp-up process before Opening Day. Though Votto should have a near-everyday role at first base waiting for him once fully cleared, he looks to be little more than a low-end fantasy option at the position in light of his age, declining power and bat-to-ball skills along with the fact that he's returning from shoulder surgery. Before the shoulder injury cut short his 2022 campaign, Votto slashed a lowly .205/.319/.370 with a career-worst 25.8 percent strikeout rate in 376 plate appearances.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Status for spring uncertain
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Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Votto's (shoulder) status for spring training is still to be determined, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
The Reds won't know much about the 2010 NL MVP's status until he gets into camp. Votto underwent season-ending surgery in August to repair a torn a torn rotator cuff, and even if he's ready to participate in early festivities, the Reds aren't going to rush him back.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Likely to be delayed this spring
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Votto (shoulder) is likely going to be delayed at the start of spring training, Reds general manager Nick Krall said Monday.
"Probably not," Krall said when asked of Votto's potential readiness for the beginning of camp. "I think he's going to be a little delayed there. That was expected at the beginning, from when he had surgery, that he wasn't going to be unlimited, full-go at the beginning. We'll just have to see where he comes in and go from there." Additionally, manager David Bell said of Votto's recovery from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn biceps, that "it's been a tougher rehab than he anticipated." The skipper did note that it still wouldn't surprise him if Votto is ready to go on Opening Day but that more will be known once spring training gets underway. Votto has always been lauded for his work ethic, but he's also a 39-year-old coming off major surgery, so we can't count on him avoiding an injured list stint.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Undergoes season-ending surgery
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Votto was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday after undergoing surgery to repair his torn left rotator cuff, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
This officially ends Votto's 16th season in the majors. It was his worst campaign to date by fWAR (-0.7) and wRC+ (93). Votto slashed .205/.319/.370 with 11 home runs, 31 runs and 41 RBI in 91 games and is under contract through the 2023 season.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Requires season-ending surgery
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Votto will undergo season-ending surgery Friday to address a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Votto wasn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against Philadelphia, and he's apparently dealing with a shoulder injury that will end his season. The 38-year-old struggled to get things going in 2022 and slashed .205/.319/.370 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI and 31 runs over 91 games. Matt Reynolds should see increased playing time at first base until Mike Moustakas (calf) is cleared to return. It's not yet clear whether Votto is expected to be healthy in time for spring training in 2023.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Sits amid prolonged slump
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Votto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
Votto's absence is presumably mostly due to the Reds concluding their series with the Phillies with a day game after a night game, but the 38-year-old could probably benefit from a mental reset in any case. Over his last five games, Votto has gone 0-for-21 with one walk and five strikeouts, dropping his season-long batting average and on-base percentage to .205 and .319, respectively. Matt Reynolds will spell the slumping six-time All-Star at first base Wednesday.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Sleeper hitters for Week 19 (Aug. 8-14)
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It's not a great week for sleeper hitters, to be honest, and when that's the case, it's easy to lean on someone like Votto as long as the matchups aren't prohibitive. He gets the Cubs pitching staff to end the week and already has five home runs since the All-Star break.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Lifts 11th homer
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Votto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Brewers.
Votto is now 10-for-29 (.345) over his last nine games, hitting safely in eight of them in one of his longest hot stretches of the year. He's collected three of his 11 homers this year in that span. The 38-year-old's surge has lifted his slash line to .224/.341/.406, but all of those would be career-worst marks for a full season. He's added 39 RBI, 30 runs scored, 17 doubles and one triple through 82 contests.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Homers in second straight
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Votto went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in an 8-2 victory over the Orioles on Saturday.
Votto went deep for the second game in a row to raise his home-run total to 10 on the year. The veteran first baseman has now posted double-digit home runs in every season since 2015. Votto got off to a miserable start in 2022, and his season-long numbers represent a major drop-off from his impressive 36 home-run season in 2021, when he slashed .266/.375/.563.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Sleeper hitters for Week 17 (July 25-31)
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Votto has come out of the break hot with two home runs in three games and has an OPS around .850 since returning from COVID-19 in late May. He'll face a pieced-together Marlins rotation and an unimposing Orioles rotation this week.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Back in lineup Tuesday
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Votto (back) is batting cleanup and playing first base Tuesday in New York.
Votto will step back into the lineup for the first time since July 4 after battling a back injury. Prior to missing time, the veteran slashed .216/.326/.405 with three RBI in his last 10 games.
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Reds' Joey Votto: Remains sidelined
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Votto (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.
Mike Moustakas will once again fill in at first base for Votto, who is on the bench for the seventh consecutive game on account of back tightness. Votto hasn't made any pinch-hitting appearances over the past five contests, suggesting a stint on the 10-day injured list could still be on the table for the 38-year-old. For now, he can be viewed as day-to-day in advance of the Reds' three-game series with the Yankees, which begins Tuesday.
