The Cincinnati Reds have had a good time lately, but the good times are about to get even better with one star coming off the IL.
The Cincinnati Reds could mess around and win the NL Central. Sure, that's in part because the division is full of teams who can't seem to figure out how to get their pieces to work together, but considering the Reds have the fifth-youngest team when looking at weighted batter average, that's pretty impressive!
A young team figuring it out, even if it is in a division that can't stop tripping over itself, should be praised.
But that youth is about to get a massive veteran presence back in its lineup. Joey Votto, who has moonlit as a TikToking Zoomer, is back, baby!
The Reds announced his return on Twitter:
Joey Votto had a long road back to the active roster with Reds
Joey Votto had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and bicep over 10 months ago. His return to play has included 22 games at Triple-A in Louisville where he slashed .173/.340/.333.
Look, the numbers for a 16-year veteran like Votto don't matter in a rehab stint, his time in Louisville was purely to get his body back in game shape so he could join the big-league team.
Furthermore, his return to the big-league team could not come at a better time. He joins a clubhouse on a winning run and can bring his maturity and veteran presence to the table just as the youth is figuring things out on their own.
Cincinnati is 8-2 in its last 10 and just half a game behind the Brewers.
Elly De La Cruz is getting his career going in a major way with the Reds. De La Cruz has 12 hits in 10 games with an OPS+ of 110. There's plenty to love about his game, but his speed might be one of the best things he brings to the table.
Check out this sprint to get himself a bag at first base on Sunday:
Meanwhile, Jonathan India is putting together a serious All-Star campaign at second base in just his third year in the league.
Back to Votto, he's back in the field at first base on Monday against the Colorado Rockies, batting sixth in the order.
The vet is back.
