Put Joey Votto back into your active lineup. Dude is back, and after explaining why he has been away from the game he took the field and went 1 – 4 with a single and two strikeouts. It may take him a game or two to get back into raking mode, but we fully expect him to ignite the Reds’ lineup once more. This is great news for Brandon Phillips and Jerry Hairston, and hopefully for Jay Bruce as well.
So why did Votto have to take some time away from the game? As speculated, he has some issues with depression. Best of luck to Votto in dealing with his issues, and we hope that he has turned the corner and is on the road to recovery.
Joey Votto has not laced up his cleats for the Cincinnati Reds since May 29th. He was placed on the 15 day Prior List on May 30th, and can return whenever he is ready. Dude has had one hell of a season so far. He has battled the flu, an inner-ear infection, and some sort of personal issues that finally landed him on the Prior List. While he has been very quiet about what said personal issues are, he does plan on telling the public something in the near future. He also plans on stepping foot back on the baseball diamond very soon as well. Votto is on his way to Sarasota, Florida for a minor league rehab assignment. Sarasota is also where Votto makes his offseason home, so that should help with his “issues” as well.
Before things took a turn for the worse, Votto was killing NL pitching to a tune of a .378 batting average and 1.091 OPS. He has eight homers on the year through 126 at-bats, which equates to a pitcher hanging his head every 16 times Joey steps up to the plate. Throw in his 33 RBIs, 23 Runs and two stolen bases and you have one of the top one baggers in the league at the ripe old age of 25. It is unclear of when he will make it back to the Bigs, but I would expect that he will arrive sometime next week.
For a great read on Votto, check out this Fox Sports column by Jon Paul Morosi.
The Cub’s rookie catcher Geovany Soto fell one vote short of being a unanimous selection like our boy Longo. Cincy’s Joey Votto came in second, and Atlanta’s Jair Jurrjens came in third.
Our friends at Rotoworld point out an interesting caveat in the voting. Edinson Volquez received three second place votes? Um, he was not a rookie this year?
The Reds and White Sox have agreed on a trade that will send Ken Griffey Jr. to the South Side. No word on what the Reds will get in return as of yet. The only thing holding this deal up is Griffey’s approval. As a 10/5 guy, he can reject any trade. I don’t see why he would, as it would put him right into the thick of a three way race for the AL Central.
Update
Ken Griffey Jr has agreed to be traded to the AL Central division leading White Sox. In return, the Reds will receive right-handed pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar. I have never heard of either of these players, so I’ll have to give you a break down later today.
One inning, 10 earned runs, 11 hits, one walk, three home runs, one strikeout. That’s the line for Bronson Arroyo last night. He did manage to make it out of the first inning, but failed to record an out in the second before being pulled. I’m not going to pile on, but when you are 4-7 with a 6.52 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP it might be time to evaluate your career and adjust your goals. Arroyo is in his 8th season in the bigs, and has compiled a 60-66 record. Maybe this starting pitching thing isn’t working out? Maybe it’s time to move Bronson to the bully? Maybe it’s time to hang up the cleats and pick up the guitar?
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