Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto has had a lost season so far as he has been out since Spring Training after rolling his ankle in the dugout, causing his debut for his new team to be pushed back all the way into the summer.
Fans were starting to get excited for his long-awaited debut, but according to recent news, they’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Reports yesterday indicated that while Votto was expected to start the Triple-A portion of his rehab assignment on July 19th, he was scratched from the lineup after tweaking his ankle in pregame activities and will be reevaluated before determining the next steps.
Joey Votto, who was expected to start Triple-A portion of his #BlueJays #MiLB stint tonight, and even met w/media earlier in the afternoon, has now been scratched from the lineup. He remains on the #Bisons roster, but reason for the move remains unclear
Votto remains on the Buffalo Bisons roster, and early indications from the Jays suggest the setback might not be a major one, but fans will have to wait and see what happens next.
The 40-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the team earlier this year and intended to earn his way to the big club, and his rehab had been gradually progressing through Single-A with a .716 OPS in 13 games.
Votto is Canadian and grew up watching the Blue Jays, and this is not how fans envisioned his first year in Toronto going after finally joining the team following 17 incredible years with the Cincinnati Reds.
The Blue Jays are giving off rumblings that they might be sellers at the trade deadline, and if they do intend to pivot to 2025, it’s even more unclear where Votto fits in since he’ll be turning 41 soon.