Three Moves That Could Have Saved Season for Cincinnati Reds
By Adam Hughes
Shut Down Joey Votto in May
Jun 29, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) looks on during the ninth inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The Cincinnati Reds defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Votto has struggled with injuries over the past couple of years and had two surgeries on his left leg in 2012. So when he went down with a left quad strain in mid-May, it should have been a sign that he wasn’t up to snuff physically.
Instead of cutting bait on his 2014, the Reds tried to nurse Votto along through a notoriously nagging injury for two months, creating uncertainty in their lineup and giving general manager Walt Jocketty an excuse to wait for the star’s return.
That hasn’t worked out so well, but even now the Reds are waffling on Votto’s status for the rest of the season. They should have pulled the trigger early and moved on with their season.