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Say this about 40-year-old Joey Botto. For better or worse, the Toronto native certainly found a way to make a splash in his Blue Jays debut Sunday afternoon.
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The veteran first baseman hit a home run on Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler’s first pitch in a game against the Jays, no doubt lifting the spirits of Canadian baseball fans on St. Patrick’s Day.
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At BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla., Votto sent Wheeler’s fastball over the left-center field wall. Considering he is in camp on a minor league contract, this amounted to a tryout to extend his illustrious career, and it was an exciting first impression.
Unfortunately for the six-time All-Star, the good vibes, however emotional, only lasted a few minutes. After returning to the dugout, Votto was injured, abandoning his original debut plan to play five innings to get into shape for his game.
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According to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Votto stepped on a bat in the Jays’ dugout and twisted his ankle.
Botto’s solo home run, hit second in the Jays’ batting lineup, was the Jays’ first score in a 5-on-5 split against the Phillies. In another contest that featured most of the Jays’ starters, the Jays defeated the Twins 9-4 at their home TD Ballpark in Dunedin.
The team’s hope is that Botto’s injury doesn’t last long. With Monday off scheduled, the team resumes its Grapefruit League schedule Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles at TD Ballpark.
Votto later told reporters that he accidentally stepped on the bat and “it hurt like Dickens.” He suggested that an off day would be enough to recover.
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Votto acknowledged that he may need to spend some time in the minors to get back into shape before returning to the big leagues. Votto will likely compete with Daniel Vogelbach for the left-handed hitter spot on manager John Schneider’s bench.
Votto, who played all 17 seasons of his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds, will sign a one-year contract worth $2 million and a potential maximum payout if he is named to the major league roster on March 7th. Connected with sexual incentives. 2 million dollars.
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