Joey Votto takes another step forward
According to MLB.com, Reds first baseman Joey Votto was scheduled to swing at underhand flips in a batting cage Sunday, the latest step in his rehabilitation from a strained left quadriceps that has sidelined him since July 8.
"Getting in there, it's the first time I'll get to work in the cage with [hitting coaches] Don Long and Lee Tinsley. That's the final step before taking batting practice on the field," Votto said.
Votto says he's made "tremendous progress" and still hopes to return before the end of the season. Hitting flips is supposed to up the intensity he puts on his leg.
"It's day-to-day, station-to-station," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Everything he's been doing has been increased effort from when he takes ground balls, moving laterally side-to-side, the running -- it's just a progression."
