Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto Takes Crucial Next Step in Injury Recovery

Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto is on the comeback trail from rotator cuff and biceps surgery. He's officially on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville.

Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto is officially on the comeback trail. The longtime first baseman has gone out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds put the information out on Twitter:

The #Reds today sent 1B Joey Votto (left rotator cuff and left biceps surgeries) and OF Henry Ramos (right hip strain) on rehabilitation assignments to Triple-A Louisville.

The #Reds today sent 1B Joey Votto (left rotator cuff and left biceps surgeries) and OF Henry Ramos (right hip strain) on rehabilitation assignments to Triple-A Louisville. pic.twitter.com/RTyoHJrxOb

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 3, 2023

Votto hasn't played all season while recovering and was limited to just 91 games a season ago.

One of the best hitters of this generation, the 39-year-old is a lifetime .297 hitter with 342 homers and 2,093 hits. Remarkably durable, he's played in more than 140 games in nine of his 16 years in the big leagues. He also played in 54 of 60 games in the COVID 2020 season.

He's hit 25 or more home runs in seven different seasons of his career and hit over .300 eight times since becoming a full-time regular. He's also led the league in on-base percentage in seven different seasons.

He won the MVP in 2010 when he led the league in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. Votto is a six-time All-Star who has received MVP votes in nine different seasons. He's also won the Gold Glove Award.

When he comes back, his presence will be a big boon to a young and exciting Reds team. Armed with some of the best young talent in baseball, the Reds are currently 26-31. They've won six of their last 10 games and are just 4.0 games back of the Brewers in the National League Central.