Joey Votto diagnosed with COVID-19, placed on injured list by Cincinnati Reds

No news is generally good news in spring training, as it means that business as usual is par for the course. Mixed metaphors aside, that scenario is a pretty good indication that nothing major has gone wrong, as that’s the only real thing that can truly get ones sugars up when all that is going on is practice.

Well, the Cincinnati Reds got our sugars up on Wednesday, announcing that Joey Votto had been placed on the injured list.

With what hath Votto been stricken? We do not know.

How severe is said injury? We do not know that, either.

For how long shall the Reds be without? We are wholly, wholly unaware.

Sunday was Votto’s last appearance, and there has been no moment pinpointed where a particular malady befell the Reds stalwart 1B. No ankle roll, no ball fouled off a shin, no hammy cramp that ended up worse after an MRI. Nothing, at least not publicly, and that’s perhaps the crux of this particular announcement - there is nothing specified as to why Votto is now sidelined, a trend that became cryptically relevant during last season’s COVID-shortened campaign.

Hopefully, whatever has Joey on the shelf is mild-mannered and kind to him, and the veteran who worked so diligently to revamp his entire offensive game late last season is back, spry, and mashing again well before Opening Day. In fact, we here at Red Reporter dot com aren’t even interested in trying to figure out what the Reds will do without him, as we’re certain he’s going to be right back in the fold in short order.

Get un-injured soon, Joey.

UPDATE (1:35 PM ET)

It appears the cryptic reason Votto was placed on the injured list was indeed due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed.

Get well soon, Joey.