Reds' Votto to have season-ending rotator cuff surgery
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto announced Wednesday that he'll undergo season-ending surgery Friday to repair a torn rotator cuff.
It's expected that he'll need about six months of rehabilitation, Votto added. He's aiming to arrive at spring training healthy.
"I don't know how to explain it ... like what exactly happened, but it's been lingering for a while, and I've had a difficult time with it," the 38-year-old told reporters, according to Bally Sports Cincinnati.
Votto played all nine innings Tuesday, but he sat out Wednesday's matinee win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He wasn't able to pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred, but he did note that he's been playing through some smaller issues since 2015, when he sustained a minor shoulder injury on a play at first base.
"I've been able to play through it (since 2015)," he explained. "Only the past maybe three, four months or so has it been painful to the point where it's ... without getting into specifics, difficult to lift, hurts to sleep."
Votto struggled at the plate this season, hitting a career-low .205/.319/.370 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs in 91 games. After a solid month of June, his performance dipped considerably, with just five homers and a .603 OPS since July 1.
Votto has been the face of the Reds for his entire 16-year career and owns multiple franchise records. The six-time All-Star has led his league in OBP seven times during his career, was named National League MVP in 2010, and was the narrow MVP runner-up in 2017. Over the weekend, he passed Larry Walker for the most games played by a Canadian-born player in MLB history.
The Etobicoke, Ontario, native has one guaranteed year left on his $240-million contract with the Reds.