Votto Going on Rehab Assignment

[cumberlandreds]

I get the sense (and I could be wrong) from these statements that he will be playing in Toronto so long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks on this rehab assignment. I also sense that Dusty is just trying to make sure no additional pressure is on Votto and if something were to go wrong, it could be closer to the end of the month.

According to this Dusty seems to think a Toronto return is optimistic. He's saying probably after the road trip to Toronto and Cleveland.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

[JaxRed]

Sarasota Reds have a game tonight and Friday and then 3 days off for All Star break. It's possible he's starting his rehab with the Extended squad guys.

[redsmetz]

Sarasota Reds have a game tonight and Friday and then 3 days off for All Star break. It's possible he's starting his rehab with the Extended squad guys.

It's more probable that he'll play those two games with Sarasota and then move to either Carolina or Louisville. That's what my guess would be.

[redsmetz]

I referenced a blog piece about the DL and it had this little blurb about Rehab assignments that will come up for Votto:

Perhaps the most important part of the Rehab Assignment is the purchase of the “spread”. It’s a long standing tradition in baseball that a MLB player on rehab must purchase at least one meal for the Minor League team he’s assigned to. A well-heeled player may cater Mortons or the like, while a player making the minimum may go for something a little less expensive…perhaps chicken and ribs. A few years ago, a Jays player with a significant contract went out on a rehab and forgot to buy a meal – word traveled quickly through the organization and when he returned to the Majors he was given grief for several days. Eventually he sent a check to the clubhouse attendant at the affiliate and instructed him to order a meal. It wasn’t Mortons however…

[Homer Bailey]

Great Votto article:


http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9...related-issues

Votto not alone in fight with stress-related issuesby Jon Paul Morosi
Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan.

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Updated: June 18, 2009, 9:25 AM EDT 4 comments CINCINNATI - Joey Votto sat at his locker Wednesday, a leather satchel and big Reds duffel bag at his feet.

"Se fue?" teammate Ramon Hernandez asked.
"Si," Votto replied.

Yes, he was leaving, bound for what optimists believe will be a short, successful stint with Single-A Sarasota of the Florida State League. Soon, everyone hopes, he will be back in the big leagues.


The Reds can't win the NL Central without Joey Votto. He discussed it with Jon Paul Morosi on Wednesday. (Mark Lyons / Getty Images)

When healthy, Votto has been among the majors' top hitters this year. But he was placed on the disabled list May 30 because of stress-related issues. The Reds are 7-10 since.

Yet, two of those wins have come in the past two days, against the foundering Atlanta Braves at Great American Ballpark. Cincinnati stands third in the very winnable National League Central, three games back, thanks in large part to a reliable pitching staff.

"I'm not surprised," Votto said, when asked about his teammates' resilience. "I'm not egotistical. I realize the game keeps going. I expected them to play well."

Votto addressed the team in the clubhouse Tuesday, after the Reds returned from a 2-4 road trip. Veteran Jerry Hairston Jr. said it was "good to see him smiling, being happy."

"More than anything, I'm excited for him to be getting better, period," right fielder Jay Bruce said. "Baseball's kind of on the back burner when you're talking health. On the baseball side, he anchors our lineup. He makes us a better team, offensively and defensively. It'll be exciting to get him back."

Still, the Reds have obvious deficiencies. They illustrated as much Wednesday, even in a 4-3 victory. Their top five batters finished 0-for-17, the lineup totaled four hits and a three-run home run by starting pitcher Micah Owings accounted for most of the offense. They're also playing without All-Star starting pitcher Edinson Volquez and starting third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Votto's return, though, could make this a much more formidable outfit. The first baseman was hitting .357 and is still tied for second on the team with 33 RBIs, despite playing in only 38 games.

His absence prompted manager Dusty Baker to move Brandon Phillips from fourth to third in the lineup. Baker has since tried four players in the cleanup spot — most recently Laynce Nix, a career .240 hitter who is on pace to have his finest big-league season.

"Votto was leading the league in hitting when he went down," Baker said. "That's big. He's not a player yet like Albert Pujols, but that's like losing Albert Pujols here. That's the kind of impact player he can become."

Votto said Wednesday that he's not sure when he will return to the active roster. The Reds begin a series Tuesday in Toronto, his hometown; as emotional as a comeback there might be, it may take longer than that for Votto to regain his strength, endurance and pitch recognition.

Votto acknowledged that he hasn't quite felt like his "old self" in two batting practice sessions this week. After all, he hasn't played regularly since early May. He missed four starts then because of the flu, before the words became more alarming: dizziness; inner-ear infection; ultimately, the stress-related issues.


Votto indicated that he plans to share some details about his condition with the public — at a later date. Once that happens, fans will have a deeper understanding of why a budding star had to step away from the game in the midst of what looked like a great individual season.

How will Votto know when he's ready? How well can the Reds expect him to hit when he comes back? His recovery over the coming days may be as difficult to measure as the diagnosis was to make.

This much is clear: Votto knows he has the Reds' support, from owner Bob Castellini, to Baker, to the other players in the clubhouse.

"He's just a great kid," Castellini said Wednesday. "Sooner than later, he'll be back in that lineup. ... Hopefully, it'll be Toronto. ... He's got the whole team pulling for him, all his friends and family. He's a remarkable young man.

"I haven't met anybody who doesn't think the world of him. He's unassuming. He's responsible, talented. His accomplishments, he doesn't take those too seriously. He just keeps trying to be better. He reminds me a lot of Albert Pujols."

Even if Votto hits as well as he did before going on the disabled list — a difficult task — the Reds could benefit from adding another hitter before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.

Their .244 batting average entering Wednesday's game was the fourth-lowest in the majors. Owings may be the best-hitting pitcher in baseball, but that's no excuse for him to have a better average (.278) than all but two other players in the starting lineup. Leadoff man Willy Taveras is hitting .224 and still hasn't figured out how to maximize his speed.

Bruce, last year's rookie sensation, homered Wednesday but is hitting .217. Alex Gonzalez, healthy at last and playing a brilliant shortstop, is nonetheless checking in at .219.


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Top stories | Rumors | Video | Photos "When you get Votto back," Baker said, "you get guys back in the spots where I feel they belong — in the lineup, on the field."

As for the possibility of a trade to improve the offense?

"You always want to add somebody," Baker said. "But do you want to subtract something to add something? Most people you talk to, they want our pitching. That's our strength."

For all their faults, these Reds have a certain charm. The absences of Votto and Encarnacion have forced some players out of position, and the results have been quite respectable. Hernandez, acquired from Baltimore to be the No. 1 catcher, has wowed teammates while subbing for Votto at first.

"He's played as good at first as anybody I've played with," Hairston said, before adding: "He'd better slow (down), or he might end up being a first baseman."

Of course, Hairston was talking about the distant future. The Reds have a first baseman. And he's coming back soon.

[HeatherC1212]

Fantastic article! Thank you so much for sharing that here.

[OnBaseMachine]

On Votto: He'll play six innings at first base tonight for Florida State League Reds. Sarasota then goes into the FSL All-Star break. But the Reds have a mini-camp going on. Votto can get at-bats in those intrasquad games. He can lead off every inning, in fact. He'll probably stay at Sarasota for a couple of days, then go somewhere else -- Louisville or Carolina.

I was talking to Jeff Brantley. He said the biggest thing for Votto will be getting used to playing on spikes on the hard ground. "That will wear you out," Brantely said.

By the way, Brantley is predicting Votto will play next week in his hometown of Toronto. I think Cleveland is more likely. But you'd think he'd play in one those two series. He can DH after all.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...j1AqtqqNiI4%3D

[REDREAD]

If the Reds go back to scoring 2.3 runs a game this week, why do I think Joey's timeframe could be accelerated a tad?

I don't think it should. I'd love for the team to play 500 this year, but I'm more concerned about Votto's long term health.

The Reds have a history of not taking the time needed to get a player fully healthy. It would be understandable if we were fighting for the pennant, but most of the times, we weren't.

[OnBaseMachine]

Votto went 0-for-2 with a walk tonight in his first rehab game.

[OnBaseMachine]

Votto plays again, goes 2-for-4
Posted by TomGroeschen at 6/19/2009 5:11 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

Joey Votto played another rehab game in Florida today , and Reds manager Dusty Baker heard positive reports.

Baker said he was told Votto went 2-for-4 with a single, double, two walks and three stolen bases. Votto played in what amounted to a scrimmage game with all the Reds’ recently signed 2009 draft picks, who have convened in Sarasota for a brief round of acclimation/training.

“He did pretty good,” Baker said. “The three stolen bases makes me feel good that his legs must be fine.”

Baker said he believed Votto was leaving today for his next round of rehab, which Baker thinks may be in Dayton.

Votto played for the Sarasota Reds in a Florida State League game on Thursday night, going 0-for-2 with a walk. That was the last game for Sarasota before its All-Star break.

How long Votto remains on rehab is unknown. Baker said Votto might not be back until the next homestand begins June 30.

The word from Florida was that Votto also declined to speak with reporters there.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...cincinnati.com

[GOYA]

With Yonder out, it would make a lot more sense to send Votto to Carolina instead of Dayton. I guess nobody said it has to make sense.

[Mario-Rijo]

With Yonder out, it would make a lot more sense to send Votto to Carolina instead of Dayton. I guess nobody said it has to make sense.

Logan Parker is in Carolina. And Dayton doesn't really have a legit 1B. Besides Dayton could use the help.

[BCubb2003]

Logan Parker is in Carolina. And Dayton doesn't really have a legit 1B. Besides Dayton could use the help.

I don't suppose it's much of a factor either way. The point is to get Votto back to Cincinnati, not to boost Dayton's lineup in the best way.

[GOYA]

Votto is listed on Dayton's roster.

The Dragons will host West Michigan at Fifth Third Field at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Channel 708 on most Time Warner cable systems).

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/n...=.jsp&sid=t459

[redsfandan]

According to the SunDeck, Votto just hit a hr for the Dragons. Nice to see he hasn't lost his stroke.