After spending nearly a month on the disabled list with a strained quadriceps Reds first baseman Joey Votto is back in the starting lineup and batting third for tonight’s game against the Dodgers.
Cincinnati went 11-12 in Votto’s absence while using light-hitting backup catcher Brayan Pena as the primary first baseman, with Todd Frazier and Donald Lutz also seeing some time there.
Votto last played on May 16 and hit .257 with more walks (33) than strikeouts (31) and a .410 on-base percentage in 39 games before the injury, posting an .859 OPS that’s 100 points below the former MVP’s career mark.
