First baseman Joey Votto will be out for several weeks
Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, leaving the National League Central leaders without their best hitter for the subsequent 3 to 4 weeks.
The 2010 NL MVP hurt the knee while sliding into 3rd base June 29 in San Francisco, but has continued playing. Low juice
A medical examination perceived the tear and Votto will have arthroscopic surgery.
General manager Walt Jocketty announced Votto failed to have an MRI earlier because the 1st baseman didn’t think he needed one.
”He did not request it until then,” Jocketty expounded. ”He asserted it wasn’t an issue till the last few days.”
Votto made a decision to have the surgery. Jocketty asserted it’s a simple process that takes only 20 to 30 minutes.
”It is in my best interest and in the best interest of the team to do it now so I can be healthy during the last 2 months of the pennant race,” Votto expounded in a statement.
Votto is batting .342 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs. He leads the National League in doubles, walks, on-base percentage and extra-base hits.
”We’ll see what we can do internally, in the beginning,” Jocketty said. ”But it will be tough to replace Joey Votto.”
He went hitless in his 1st 2 games back from the All-Star game then had a single and an RBI double in a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday night that moved the Reds into sole possession of 1st place in the National League Central.
The Cincinnati Reds didn’t straight away make a move to replace him on the roster.
Cincinnati has been in 1st place for 46 days because of its pitching and the NL’s top defense. The Cincinnati Reds have used only 5 starters, a modern franchise record this deep into the season, and their bullpen is the best in the league.
The offense has struggled, ranking in the middle of the league and the loss of Votto costs the team its most consistent hitter.
Votto was named MVP after the Reds’ run to the NL Central title in 2010, but Cincinnati got swept by Philadelphia in the 1st round of the playoffs.
He received a 10-year contract extension before the start of this season that added $225 million to his contract.
Now, the Reds will find out just how much he means to the franchise. They lost their 1st game without him, 5-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
”He’s an MVP, a Gold Glover. What else can you ask in a guy?” declared Todd Frazier, who filled in initially base. ”Injuries are significant in baseball. He’s got that presence. Whenever he is out there, he can do damage.”
Reds starter Bronson Arroyo saw Votto just before the game and got the bad news directly.
”He looked funny,” said Arroyo, who lasted only 3 innings. ”I claimed ‘Are you playing?’ He announced, ‘No, I need surgery.’ At this time of year, if we are able to keep strain on the other teams in our division and stay in the race – if we are able to weather the storm – he could give us a lift when he returns.”