Joey Votto Reveals Plans For The Future After Season-Ending Surgery

After the year that Joey Votto had, at the age of 38, many players would consider retirement as a plausible option. He may be sidelined for the season after shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff, but the 16-year veteran is itching to erase the memory of his dreadful season. And he wants to do it next year as a Cincinnati Red.

Joey Votto says that it’s a “priority” to finish his career as a Red. “I’d like to have a strong finish to my career and be proud.”

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) August 29, 2022

Votto said it's a "priority" to finish his career with Cincinnati, and to reestablish himself as a starter.  

"I want to start my career and finish my career in the same uniform. That’s a priority for me,” Votto said. “I only have so many years left – one, two, who knows how many I have left? I’d like to finish it in the same uniform." 

But Votto knows he has to be better. He finished the season batting .205 (almost 100 points below his career mark of .297), with a .689 OPS—250 points below his career average. 

Joey Votto knows he needs to play better next year when he returns from shoulder surgery. 😤 https://t.co/GAswCcNOsR pic.twitter.com/PxDhGcG4oQ

— theScore (@theScore) August 30, 2022

“If I play like this, I’m not going to be able to play anymore,” Votto told Reds reporter Bobby Nightengale. “There’s no question about that. This performance level is unsustainable. No one wants to give a Major League roster spot to a player that performs like this. That’s clear. I’d become a bench player. I’d become a backup. I’d become a platoon player. As I sit here right now, I don’t view myself in that role.”

“I’d like to have a strong finish to my career and be proud.”

The six-month timeline for recovery from his surgery should get him back in time for spring training 2023.

Photo: Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK