Six-time All-Star first baseman Joey Votto announced his retirement from professional baseball on his Instagram account on Wednesday night, ending an illustrious career that included a National League MVP award, a lifetime .920 OPS and one of the best power-patience combinations of his generation. Votto spent all 17 of his big-league seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. The 40-year-old Canadian left-handed slugger signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in the winter and was hoping to be a veteran option at first base and designated hitter for them in 2024, but an ankle injury suffered in spring training prevented him from returning to the majors leagues this year. He had only 51 plate appearances for Triple-A Buffalo and posted a weak .489 OPS, prompting him to hang up his cleats. In his 17 seasons for the Reds, Votto slashed .294/.409/.511 with 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI and 80 stolen bases in 2,056 career regular-season games.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) has been reinstated from the seven-day minor-league injured list and will return to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday for the start of the second half of the season. Votto was rehabbing a serious ankle injury that he suffered in spring training in the first half of the season and went 8-for-43 with a home run in 53 plate appearances on his rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and with Single-A Dunedin in 16 games. The 40-year-old is finally ready to take on a higher level of minor-league competition as he hopes to return to the big leagues for the first time in 2024 in the second half. The six-time All-Star should make his Jays debut before season's end, but it's likely to come with little playing time as a veteran left-handed bench bat.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (back, ankle) experienced some lower-back tightness but should return to the Florida Complex League for minor-league rehab games later this week. Votto was with Single-A Dunedin but will now return to the Rookie level. The 40-year-old hasn't played all year in the big leagues after suffering a pretty serious ankle sprain in spring training. His rehab process will be slow, and he'll need to work his way back up the minor-league ladder during his rehab before he'll be a realistic option to join the big-league roster as a left-handed bat off the bench. The six-time All-Star and former National League MVP is at the tail end of his career and is no guarantee to be a fantasy contributor in the second half of the 2024 season if he's healthy by then.
Toronto Blue Jays veteran first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is still taking live at-bats and working through a running progression, and there is no timetable for him to get into game action. A severe right-ankle sprain that Votto suffered in spring training when he stepped on a bat in the dugout has kept him on the injured list so far in 2024. The 40-year-old long-time Cincinnati Reds All-Star first baseman continues to do baseball activities, but there appears to be no rush to get him playing in games again. The Canadian product hasn't been an All-Star since 2018 and hasn't played in over 100 games since 2021. In his 65 games in 2023 in his final season with the Reds, Votto hit just .202 (42-for-208) but managed to hit 14 homers while driving in 38. When healthy, Votto probably won't be anything more than a left-handed bench bat for the Blue Jays.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) continues to ramp up his baseball activity and is said to be making good progress with hitting, fielding and throwing. His next steps will be live at-bats and then to play in minor-league rehab games. Votto made it clear that he wants to be 100 percent healthy before he returns. It sounds like it won't be until June when we might see the 40-year-old Canadian back in the big leagues with Toronto. When Votto is finally ready to return, he'll be a designated hitter option, at best, against right-handed pitching for the Blue Jays. The six-time All-Star has been hampered by injuries in recent years as he ages and is probably in the final season of his career. In 65 games in his final campaign with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023, Votto hit just .202 (42-for-208), but he did have 14 home runs and 38 RBI.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) has started running more, but he's not hitting live pitching yet. There's no immediate plan for him to get into minor-league games, so until Votto resumes hitting, there's also no reason for fantasy managers to consider stashing the veteran on-base machine. After slashing .202/.314/.433 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI over 242 plate appearances (65 games) with the Cincinnati Reds a year ago, the 40-year-old former All-Star will be an option to serve as Toronto's designated hitter versus right-handed pitching when he's ultimately able to return from an ankle sprain and make his 2024 regular-season debut. Righty-mashing veteran Daniel Vogelbach will draw the occasional start as the DH, but he's only appeared in eight games for the Jays so far and isn't receiving enough at-bats to garner any fantasy interest right now.
Joey Votto Likely To Stay In Extended Spring Training
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is feeling better but has still yet to resume full baseball activities in camp. He will likely stay in extended spring training when the Blue Jays open the 2024 season later this week against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 40-year-old rolled his right ankle recently in a Grapefruit League game and will not be ready for the start of the regular season, although the injury isn't considered serious. It gives Votto a chance to stay in spring training to work on his swing after signing with the club late in spring training. Once he's healthy, he'll most likely head to Triple-A Buffalo while hoping to eventually join the Blue Jays in the big leagues as a veteran bat off the bench at both first base and designated hitter.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is considered day-to-day after rolling his right ankle in his Grapefruit League debut with the team on Sunday. The injury isn't very serious, as Votto is scheduled to take live batting practice on the field in camp on Tuesday. It remains to be seen when Votto will be allowed to play in another spring game, but the injury isn't very serious at all and shouldn't keep him from being ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. Given how late the 40-year-old signed with Toronto, he's expected to open the year in the minors with Triple-A Buffalo, but he should eventually become an experienced left-handed bat off the bench for the Blue Jays in 2024 in what could be his final season of professional baseball.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) was forced to exit early during Sunday's spring training contest against the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran slugger launched a solo home run in his first at-bat with his new team. Sadly, Votto didn't last too much longer as he rolled his ankle stepping on a bat in the dugout. The team decided to take a cautious approach and pull Votto from the game. The expectation is that Votto will return to the lineup in a few days.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto could be in minor-league games in spring training as early as Wednesday, according to manager John Schneider. This would put Votto on track to appear in his first Grapefruit League game in the days that follow this weekend, but the Blue Jays want to ramp him up against minor-league pitching first. The 40-year-old veteran joined the club as a non-roster invite to spring training last Friday and will attempt to make his hometown team in what could be his final season as a professional. There's a good chance Votto will start the year at Triple-A Buffalo, but he could eventually be up in Toronto as a veteran left-handed bat off the bench. In 65 games in 2023 for the Reds, he hit just .202 but with 14 home runs.
