BOSTON –– Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto shows up early to the ballpark every day and does most of his work to rehabilitate his shoulder before his teammates arrive. Throughout the Reds’ road trip to Chicago and Boston, Votto’s routine has started in the early afternoon.
Votto warms up, works on his hitting and then takes competitive battling against one of the Reds’ coaches. He’s working on improving his range of motion and developing more power, and Votto is usually done with that pregame hitting around 2:30.
For the rest of the day, Votto is in the clubhouse talking to his teammates about hitting. During the game, he’s at the top step of the dugout analyzing every at-bat and providing feedback to his teammates.
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Being around the team gives Votto a reminder of why he’s pushing himself so hard during his rehab process.
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“It’s important for me to feel pressure,” Votto said. “I feel pressure to be back on the roster. That’s an important reminder. Sometimes, when you go far away, you don’t feel the urgency. That’s been good for me. I want to be back every day, as soon as possible. When I come back, that will be the first day that I should be back.”
Votto credited former Reds third baseman Scott Rolen as the veteran who showed him how to have success in MLB. Votto is committed to being a Rolen-type figure on the 2023 Reds.
Votto speaks up in hitters’ meetings with insights. He talked with Tyler Stephenson about his experience with slumps when the Reds’ catcher struggled at the start of the season. Reds outfielder Will Benson breaks down film with Votto.
Before Reds outfielder TJ Friedl faced Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, Votto showed Friedl what to look for. He told Friedl he’d have his best shot looking to drive the ball up against Wainwright’s sinker or his curveball.
Friedl doubled off Wainwright twice in that game.
“To have his veteran presence in the clubhouse, even though he can’t be on the field right now, he’s trying to be as involved as he can be in whatever way that may be,” Friedl said. “You can’t get anything better than having one of the best hitters in baseball around to pick his brain. We all see things in his swing that we put into our games. You can’t beat it.”
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Votto is the only player on the injured list who is traveling on the road with the Reds this week. Most players on the 10-day injured list don’t go on these road trips, and Votto is still at least a few weeks away from returning to the Reds’ active roster.
A lot of rehabbing players go to the Reds’ spring training facility in Arizona. Some players stay back in Cincinnati when the Reds are on the road, and some visit a Reds’ minor league affiliate in Dayton or Louisville to work out with those teams.
Votto has stayed in Cincinnati and also gone to Louisville at different points this season when the Reds have been on the road. But for nearly the entire season, Votto has been around his teammates.
“Almost the entire year, I feel like I’ve been close (to returning),” Votto said. “I mean what I say when people ask me how I feel. It’s been a confusing rehab. You feel like you’re right there, or about to be there. But the progress doesn’t match your expectations or your feeling. That’s most of the reason why I’ve been around.”
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The Reds’ players and coaches have appreciated having him around. Benson said that he has learned from Votto’s ability to recall pitches, specific at-bats and tendencies of certain pitchers. Votto’s detail-oriented nature has helped Benson prepare for games more effectively.
“That’s a testament to who he is as a person and how much he loves the game of baseball,” Benson said. “That’s Joey at his finest. When you’re seeking greatness, you look to that veteran. He has been that guy for me and for other people as well.”
During batting practice, Votto is usually standing by the cage talking with his teammates. During games, Votto is breaking down what he’s seeing and giving advice when he can. After games, he’s texting and calling his teammates to talk about hitting.
“When your main job is being a player on the field, sometimes you lose the ability to impact the team as much when you’re not out there with the guys,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has done a great job of being able to keep that going. He has earned that. It takes time. He made a real effort to lead.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joey Votto making most of time on Cincinnati Reds injured list