Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Back tightness in rehab game
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) is being held out of games with Single-A Dunedin due to lower-back tightness, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
It's considered minor, as the Blue Jays anticipate Votto returning to game action later this week. The veteran first baseman recently returned to games following a long absence with a sprained ankle. Votto should be ready to move up to Triple-A Buffalo soon if he can avoid more setbacks.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Shifting rehab to Single-A
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) is scheduled to start at first base and bat second in a rehab game with Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday.
Votto will move his rehab assignment one rung up on the minor-league ladder after he made a pair of starts in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Saturday and Tuesday, going 0-for-4 with a walk between those contests. The veteran first baseman will likely stick around with Dunedin for at least a few contests to stockpile at-bats as he looks to regain form at the plate after being shut down since mid-March with a right ankle sprain. Votto currently resides on Triple-A Buffalo's 7-day injured list and will eventually rejoin the organization's top affiliate once the Blue Jays' brass is convinced he's ready for the assignment.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Cleared to play in games
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Votto (ankle) was transferred to the Blue Jays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Monday to begin a rehab assignment, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Votto is finally ready to play in games following a long recovery from a severe right ankle sprain which he suffered back in mid-March. He remains on Triple-A Buffalo's 7-day injured list and will rejoin the Blue Jays' top affiliate once Toronto determines he's ready to do so. The 40-year-old could eventually become an option for the big club at first base and/or designated hitter, but he's on a minor-league contract and isn't guaranteed anything.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Nearing game action
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Votto (ankle) has made good progress recently and is getting close to playing in games, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Votto has remained at extended spring training since spraining his right ankle back in mid-March and it sounds like he's finally turned a corner in his recovery. Once cleared, he'll likely participate in some games with the Blue Jays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate before eventually being assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. Votto is on a minor-league contract with Toronto, and he's likely several weeks away from being in consideration for a promotion to the majors.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Still no timetable for game action
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Votto (ankle) continues to take live at-bats and take part in a running progression, but he's still without a timetable for playing in games, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Votto suffered a severe right ankle sprain during a spring training game in mid-March, when he stepped on a bat in the dugout. While he's been performing baseball activities for several weeks now, it's not clear when he might be assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Hitting live BP
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) started hitting live BP this week and could start playing games soon, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Votto has been undergoing a slow ramp-up period as he recovers from a sprained right ankle he sustained in March, but he is close to playing in games. Once he's ready, Votto will likely report to Triple-A Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: No timeline for games yet
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Votto (ankle) has been hitting but there is no timetable for when he will play in games, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Votto's progress has been slow since he sprained an ankle while stepping on a bat in the dugout back on March 17. The 40-year-old is in the midst of what is essentially a full spring training buildup and will eventually report to Triple-A Buffalo once he's physically ready.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Hitting off tee
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) began hitting off a tee at extended spring training over the weekend, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Votto also continues to do defensive work as he comes back from a right ankle injury suffered in mid-March. The 40-year-old is slated to go through a full spring training build-up, so he'll remain at extended spring a while longer before eventually being assigned to a minor-league affiliate.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Starting defensive work
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider noted Monday that Votto (ankle) has started doing defensive work, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
Votto is working his way through a right ankle injury he sustained in spring training. He will focus on defensive work for now and has not started hitting, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Will get full spring progression
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) will remain at the Blue Jays' spring training complex and go through a full build-up before beginning a minor-league assignment, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.
As the 40-year-old won't even begin that progression until his ankle is fully healed, he isn't expected to see MLB action for another month or more. That could put Votto in line to make his Toronto debut in May, but whether he gets added to the big-league roster when ready will depend on how Daniel Vogelbach performs over the first month of the season.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Will stay back in extended spring
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) is likely to stay back in extended spring training at the start of the season, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Votto has made improvement with his right ankle injury but has yet to resume full baseball activities, though manager John Schneider said Monday that the veteran first baseman could do so within the next few days, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The 40-year-old is likely to be assigned to Triple-A Buffalo once healthy, with the hope that he can eventually earn a look with the big club.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Remains day-to-day
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Votto (ankle) will incorporate more baseball activities Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The skipper said that Votto remains day-to-day as he recovers from a right ankle injury but is "doing better every day." Votto rolled his ankle during his first Grapefruit League game last weekend when he stepped on a bat in the dugout. The expectation is that he will begin the season in the minors or perhaps in extended spring training.
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Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Taking on-field BP
Rotowire
Votto (ankle) will take batting practice on the field Tuesday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Votto rolled his right ankle in the dugout Sunday and has been receiving treatment. There's no timetable for when he'll be ready for games again, but the fact that he's been cleared for on-field BP is a good sign. Votto is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo.
Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Tweaks ankle in spring debut
Rotowire
Votto was removed from Sunday's Grapefruit League game as a precaution after rolling his right ankle in the dugout, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Votto clubbed a solo homer on the first pitch he saw from Zack Wheeler before the dugout accident prompted an early exit from his spring debut. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, so the veteran slugger could be back on the field in the next few days.
Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Making Grapefruit debut Sunday
Rotowire
Votto will make his Grapefruit League debut for the Blue Jays on Sunday versus the Phillies, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.
Votto has seen some action in minor-league games since signing a non-roster invitee deal with the Jays a week ago, but this will be his first official spring training contest. The plan is for the 40-year-old to begin the season back in the minors in order to get in some reps, but if he looks good he could become an option for the major-league roster sooner rather than later.
Votto signed with the Blue Jays as a non-roster invitee Friday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.
The veteran first baseman was finally able to secure a contract for 2024, and it will come with the Canadian's hometown team. Votto clubbed 14 homers in just 65 games last season but struggled to make consistent contact with a .202 batting average. He seems likely to open the campaign at Triple-A Buffalo given how late he's joining the club, especially since there's no clear path to a place on Toronto's MLB roster with Spencer Horwitz and Daniel Vogelbach already competing for a left-handed DH/pinch-hitting role on the bench.
