Joey Votto homers in first Blue Jays at-bat before leaving game with injury
It was quite an eventful Toronto Blue Jays debut for Joey Votto.
The 40-year-old Canadian made his spring training debut with the Jays in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies earlier today. He didn’t wait long to make an impact, hitting a home run on the very first pitch he saw off the arm of Phillies’ pitcher Zack Wheeler.
It’s about as good a first impression as you could make on a new team.
First pitch swinging 😮
It's @JoeyVotto's FIRST homer in a #BlueJays uniform! pic.twitter.com/1cVrONpJ0N
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 17, 2024
The home run gave the Jays an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Though it was a great moment for the veteran who grew up as a diehard Blue Jays fan, it wasn’t the only notable thing that happened to Votto in his debut.
The Toronto native would not get another at-bat during the game, as he would leave after rolling his ankle in the dugout. The Jays announced that they had held Votto out of the rest of the game for precautionary reasons.
Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae is reporting that Votto has been labelled as day-to-day.
Joey Votto rolled his right ankle in the dugout and was removed as a precaution, and will be day to day
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 17, 2024
Votto signed a minor league contract with the Jays earlier this month. He had previously spent the last 17 seasons playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Last season, he had 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 65 games with the Reds but also had a career-low batting average of .202.
As it stands, Votto is not expected to crack the Jays’ opening night roster, but he could make an appearance at some point during the season.
It’s been a big weekend for the new Blue Jays. Apart from Votto going long, fellow newcomer Justin Turner announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child.
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