BRADENTON, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Joey Votto to remain at the Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla., for extended spring training once the season begins, as he recovers from a minor right ankle injury.
Manager John Schneider said Monday that the star Canadian first baseman will "pretty soon," resume baseball activities as "he's moving around better." Votto hasn’t played since rolling his ankle March 17 after homering in his first spring at-bat with the Blue Jays.
"He's doing more and more activity in terms of strengthening and kind of rehabbing the ankle," added Schneider. "I would assume in the next few days he'd be back at baseball stuff."
Once Votto is ready to pick things up, "he still wants to have pretty much a normal spring training build-up, which he started to do and then couldn't," added Schneider. "If he starts here and really kind of gets his legs underneath him a little bit before he goes anywhere, that would probably be the best bet."
How long a runway Votto needs before being ready isn’t clear but it’s likely to be a few weeks more than a few days, explaining why the Blue Jays are carrying Daniel Vogelbach to open the season. Both were signed to minor-league deals worth $2 million if they’re in the big-leagues and the club plans to use Vogelbach against certain righties and as a power option off the bench, the same role envisioned for Votto, at least to start.
Given that, it appears the Blue Jays will have a decision to make there once Votto is ready, at least with how the club is currently constructed.
"To be brutally honest, I told him not to worry about it," Schneider said of his messaging to Vogelbach as it relates to Votto. "There are a lot of variables that go in with Joey and I think we are confident that he looks to be healthy and able to perform. But for Vogey, the last thing we want is for him to be looking over his shoulder. There's really no need for that for him at this time. What he did in camp earned him a roster spot. So it's just worry about you, really. He knows that. He understands that. He's been around. He gets how the game is. And as long as he's doing what he's capable of, he's going to help us win. And if he's doing that, then, you know, tough decisions happen. I want Vogey to worry about him and how he can help us win."
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