It’s too early to say whether Joey Votto will be ready to play by Opening Day next spring, recovering from surgery to repair his left rotator cuff and bicep, but he’s at least making progress.
Votto initially wasn’t expected to begin swinging until around New Year’s Day, but he posted video on Instagram of his first swings on Nov. 25. He hit off a tee Thursday.
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“I don’t know what the schedule looks like other than I feel like I’ve made some really nice progress,” Votto said Friday at Redsfest. “All I’ve been doing is rehabbing, training and sleeping. This has been my focus since surgery and I’m happy with the progress.”
Votto, 39, is entering potentially his last season with the Cincinnati Reds. The 2023 season is the final guaranteed year of his contract with a $7 million buyout for 2024.
He’s coming off the worst offensive season of his career, batting .205 with 11 homers, 41 RBI and a career-low .319 on-base percentage, but injuries played a role in his performance. He had a .728 OPS before July 1 and a .603 OPS afterward.
