The Cincinnati Reds’ 2023 Opening Day lineup will be missing a key name for the first time in over a decade.
On Monday, Joey Votto announced that he will be missing Reds’ Opening Day to continue rehab on his shoulder. Instead, Votto will be on rehab assignment in Triple-A, with April 6 the earliest he could return to MLB play.
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The injury will take Votto out of the Reds’ Opening Day lineup for the first time in 14-years, snapping the second-longest streak in club history. Votto had surgery on his rotator cuff and biceps in his left shoulder last August, surgery which ended his 2022 campaign with Cincinnati.
Joey Votto will begin the season on the injured list, ending his 14-year Opening Day streak, per @nightengalejr pic.twitter.com/D3QD8aKUSJ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 27, 2023
“It saddens me because Opening Day means a lot to our city. It means a lot to me,” Votto said to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “This is just how it is shaking out this year. I’m trying to hustle back and get back in uniform as quickly as possible and help the team. It’s just going to be a little bit later this year.”
Here’s hoping Votto returns to Cincinnati’s lineup in short order!
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