Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto's rehab assignment didn't go as planned, and now he's heading back to Cincinnati to continue his recovery from last year's surgery on his shoulder and biceps.
Votto had been playing with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate since the start of the season, but he went 7-for-45 with 21 strikeouts in 10 games. Rehab assignments can't last longer than 20 days, and Votto's had to conclude by Thursday. Votto wasn't ready to return to the active roster, so Votto is back in Cincinnati to continue his training.
Votto had major surgery last August to correct an issue that had bothered him for years. At different points last season, he struggled gripping a bat and had trouble sleeping. He returned to spring training games in the middle of March and is cleared to play in games, but he's still gaining full range of motion in his shoulder.
Votto will likely go back on a rehab assignment when he's feeling stronger, and he still needs to make a lot of progress to return to MLB.
“I’ll catch up with him a bit later today and make sure we all understand the exact plan," Reds manager David Bell said. "Clearly he just wasn’t ready yet. That doesn’t mean it can’t still happen quick. It’s just taking a step back, reevaluating and adjusting."
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