Joey Votto’s tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays’ triple-A affiliate may have been delayed, but he appears to not have missed a beat while recovering from a tweaked ankle on July 19.
Making his first start for the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday, the 40-year-old Canadian went 1-for-4 with a walk and a sixth-inning home run that travelled 355 feet down the right-field line.
Matching up with the Worcester Red Sox, Votto and the Bisons earned a 10-1 win after putting up a four-spot in the first and third innings. Votto drew a walk in the first and came around to score, contributing to the early outburst.
His home run came in the sixth off right-handed reliever Yohan Ramírez when Votto hit a first-pitch curveball 95.9 m.p.h. for a two-run shot.
Votto had appeared in Buffalo’s last two games as a pinch-hitter, picking a single and a walk in his first two trips to the plate with the Blue Jays‘ triple-A affiliate.
The Blue Jays, of course, signed the former NL MVP to a minor-league contract during spring training. But Votto has been limited to just 19 games after rolling his ankle in the dugout after hitting a spring homer in his first at-bat.
The Toronto native has also dealt with some back issues, which have prevented him from getting the in-game reps needed to return to the major leagues.
Before his three games with the Bisons, Votto slashed .186/.321/.326 with one home run and eight RBIs across 16 games in the Florida Complex League and with single-A Dunedin.
On Sunday, Votto served as Buffalo’s designated hitter. He has played only 85.1 innings defensively so far this season.
The Bisons now return home for a series with the Rochester Red Wings for a six-game set starting on Tuesday.
