Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto was plunked on the right leg by Washington Nationals pitcher Ryan Madson in a game in the nation’s capital on August 4th. In 29 PA across 8 games since that time, Votto has both been noticeably limping and also only cobbled together a .227/.379/.273 line in 29 PA, and on Friday the Reds finally placed their star 1B on the 10-day DL.
The #Reds have placed 1B Joey Votto on the 10-day DL with a right lower leg contusion. Votto was hit by a Ryan Madson pitch on August 4 at Washington.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 17, 2018
OF Aristides Aquino has been recalled from Double-A Pensacola. He will be making his ML debut when he first enters a game. pic.twitter.com/GmDf9178mA
Whatever the hell the fates did to decide that the 2018 Cincinnati Reds season would largely be unwatchable, they did it with gusto. Votto’s injury now sits alongside those of Jesse Winker, Scott Schebler, Nick Senzel, and Alex Blandino among players we’d hoped to see plenty of down the stretch this season, which is an incredible drag. Not to mention that the 2017 Reds featured six players who topped 24 dingers for them on the season, and now the club can only boast just two of those on the active roster.
Drat.
Votto had struggled to hit for power prior to being plunked in Washington, and his 9 HR and .419 slugging percentage are a far cry from what we’ve come to expect from the stalwart 1B. Perhaps a quick trip to the DL, some rest and rehab, and a chance to take a break from the everyday rigor of the daily grind will allow him to come back for the final month of the season and begin to thump the heck out of the ball once again.
As the team mentioned in the above tweet, OF Aristides Aquino - who was already on the 40-man roster - has been called up for his first career big league action. I’d wager he’ll slide into the role on the bench that Brandon Dixon had been occupying of late, with Dixon getting run at 1B while Dilson Herrera still sits on the pine. Not at all saying that’s what I’d do, but I get the impression that’s how this entire situation will Riggle itself out.