Joey Votto returned, knocked the crap out of a ball

10 months on the sidelines recovering from a pair of major surgeries.

The concept of being 40 years old in a minute looming over his repaired shoulder daily.

A young team putting things together, and the talking heads out there yapping about how he might disrupt what they’ve cobbled together without him.

A left-handed pitcher on the mound.

There was plenty that could have been going through Joey Votto’s brain as he stepped in against Colorado Rockies lefty Austin Gomber for the second time on Tuesday, his first day back with the Cincinnati Reds after missing their first 72 games. As it turns out, though, the only thing that was circling his synapses was knock the everloving shit out of this pitch, and that’s precisely what he did.

Joey Votto’s back, y’all. Here’s the homer evidence to prove it.

Believe it or not, the 102 mph EV was slower than his lineout in his first PA.

Methinks he’s going to be juuust fine, y’all.