Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays' Newcomer Continues to Slow Build Up in Return in From Ankle Injury

After signing a free agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this winter, longtime slugger and former MVP Joey Votto continues to meticulously build up in his return from an ankle injury.

Brady Farkas

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) scores a run in the second inning of a baseball game
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) scores a run in the second inning of a baseball game / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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Joey Votto continues to slowly build up in his rehab from an injured ankle, but he took another step forward in his recovery this past weekend.

Per Adren Zwelling, who covers the team:

Jansen (wrist) is taking BP on field with Blue Jays Monday; he’s been hitting off velo machines and catching bullpens

Joey Votto (ankle) began hitting off a tee in Florida over the weekend; continuing to work defensively, as well


The former MVP signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays near the end of spring training and then promptly injured his ankle after returning to game action with the Jays.

Because of the nature of his contract, there's no guarantee he ever sees the field for Toronto but he'll get every chance to go through a full ramp-up period with the Jays to see if he can contribute for them in 2024.

If the 40-year-old Votto is able to make the Jays roster this season, it will be one of the best stories in baseball over the course of the year. The Toronto native spent 17 years with the Cincinnati Reds but is trying to make his hometown team in a kind of beautiful career irony of ending his career in the place it began.

Votto is a lifetime .294 hitter with a .409 on-base percentage. He is the active leader in games played (2056), hits (2135), walks (1365), and intentional walks. He led the Major Leagues in on-base percentage three times and is a six-time All-Star, in addition to an MVP.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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