Shortly after Votto’s long ball, the veteran slipped on a bat in the Blue Jays dugout, injuring his ankle. The mishap ended his day, though the former MVP doesn’t expect to miss any time. After the game, he joked about staying in the game but told reporters, “I wanted to leave everybody wanting more.”
Votto’s path to Toronto is interesting. After spending his entire 17-year career with the Cincinnati Reds, the six-time All-Star found himself without a home this offseason.
As the baseball season neared, it looked like this might be the end of the road for arguably the best Canadian-born player in baseball history. Votto, known for his humor, even resorted to posting recreated sad memes on social media in his spare time.
The hilarious posts only aided the growing support from fans who urged an MLB team to give Votto a shot. Finally, on March 8, he got a call from his hometown team, the Blue Jays, offering him an invite to spring training.
There are no guarantees for Votto, and he seems all too aware of this fact as he tries to make the Major League squad. However, he told David Singh of Sportsnet that he’s happy to start from the bottom if it means he’ll get a chance at playing in the bigs.
“Baseball is the same everywhere,” Votto said. “I’m grateful that it’s here in Toronto. Buffalo. Extended spring training. New Hampshire. Dunedin, Florida State League. I’m down for whatever.”
Unsurprisingly, Votto’s game has declined in recent years. Last season, he posted 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 65 games for the Reds.
Nevertheless, he showed on Sunday that his bat might still have some life. If called upon, there’s a path for Votto to positively impact an already talented Blue Jays squad that wouldn’t require him to pull all the weight.
