The Reds entered tonight’s action one game in front of the Pirates in the National League Central, but they’ll have to get by without their best hitter for a while.
The Reds just announced that Joey Votto will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He’s expected to miss the next three to four weeks. This confirms an earlier report by MLB Network’s Dan Plesac.
Votto initially suffered the injury on June 29 against the Giants, but he managed to avoid a stint on the disabled list and participate in the All-Star Game as scheduled. However, he evidently can’t play through the pain any longer.
Todd Frazier is filling in at first base tonight against the Diamondbacks and figures to stick there if Scott Rolen is healthy enough to play. That’s no sure thing, of course. Votto’s surgery could increase the Reds’ interest in adding a bat leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
Votto, 28, is hitting .342/.465/.604 with 14 home runs, 49 RBI and a 1.069 OPS in 86 games this season. He leads the National League with 66 walks.