This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CINCINNATI -- Before Reds home games, first baseman Joey Votto is usually visible on the field doing his pregame work. Votto takes ground balls, performs drills and is part of batting practice. Behind the scenes, the 39-year-old continues to do rehab and therapy as he tries to come back from the Aug. 19 surgery that repaired tears in his left rotator cuff and biceps.
During games, Votto is a spectator from the dugout.
“I like when they come back to town, so I can be there for support," Votto said. "The work has been good when the team has been away. I’ve gotten everything I need to do, including doing my physical therapy. I miss playing with them. I miss playing. I like their style of play. I look forward to rejoining them.”
That target date remains a mystery, however.
On April 15, Votto and the club stopped his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville after he batted .184 (7-for-38) with 21 strikeouts. That came after he unsuccessfully made a push to be ready by Opening Day.
Votto didn't re-injure his shoulder, but he could not get the full extension needed to reach balls with his swing. Fielding was also a challenge on routine plays.
“There were standard playing-the-game things that I wasn’t able to do on my rehab assignment that I’m starting to move towards being able to do," Votto said. "Those are essential things, like picking the ball -- the range of motion that you need to be able to pick the ball. There were balls thrown to me during the rehab that I couldn’t catch. You can’t play me if I’m not catching the ball."
Since returning to Cincinnati from Louisville, Votto's shoulder has felt better.
“Oh my God, yeah. Big time," he said.
The timetable for Votto to begin a new rehab assignment with Louisville remains day-to-day.
“I’ll make the decision the day before and just head down there," Votto said. "I don’t really want to say anything. I want to come back and bring joy and optimism and be a part of it. I don’t want to be a distraction.”
Votto is in the final season of his 10-year, $225 million contract but has a $20 million club option ($7 million buyout) for 2024. He has been a fixture for Cincinnati since his 2007 debut and has emerged as a more vocal leader in recent seasons.
Although watching is certainly not preferable, Votto is enjoying how the Reds are playing.
"It feels like almost every game this year, they’ve been in it. It feels like they’ve been in it all season long. I like that," Votto said. "It’s fun watching younger players break ground, figure themselves out and make adjustments.
“This is the best time because it’s all new. Watching these guys, a lot of these younger players learn the ropes and adjust and adapt to the game and grow individually, it’s fun. This is where you're going to see the biggest difference year to year in each individual player. It’s a great league because it is very much sink or swim. If you don’t perform well, they move on to the next one. It’s fun watching players overcome that and figure out how to swim here. That’s what I enjoy watching.”
While on the bench, Votto prefers to let the active players do their thing on the field and not chime in with advice or conversations.
"When you’re in the middle of competition, typically you’re trying to problem solve in real time or move on to the next play," Votto said. "It’s best to just be instinctive out there. Conversation or guidance isn’t very instinctive. It’s more of a long-term thing.
"I offer support. Then behind the scenes, if need be, we can have a conversation. You have to build a relationship first with each guy. It’s important for me to build a relationship and trust, and then maybe you can have a conversation about certain things.”
Senior Reporter Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05.