The Cincinnati Reds activated first baseman Joey Votto off the disabled list Tuesday, but will go easy with him until his left knee is better.
Votto hadn’t played since July 15 because of damaged cartilage in the knee that required two operations. He had a rehab stint in Class A Dayton and Triple-A Louisville last week.
The first baseman wasn’t in the lineup for a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. The 2010 NL MVP said the knee is getting better, but he’s not ready to play every day.
“I think working me in slowly is the wise move,” Votto said. “It’s not 100 percent yet, but that will come in time.”
Manager Dusty Baker said Votto could start a day game today that concludes the series against Philadelphia.
JAPANESE PLAYERS TO PLAY IN WBC
Japanese players have agreed to take part in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, backing off a threat to boycott the event because of a dispute over the way tournament money is shared.
The players union had demanded that two-time defending champion Japan control all the sponsorship and licensing revenue generated by its participation in the WBC. Currently, all such revenues are pooled and distributed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the tournament organizers.
Following a meeting with tournament organizers in New York in August, officials from Nippon Professional Baseball said some sponsorship and licensing revenue would remain in Japan.
3 MINOR-LEAGUE PITCHERS SUSPENDED
The commissioner’s office announced three minor league pitchers have been suspended under baseball’s minor league drug program.
Kevin Grendell, a left-hander with Baltimore’s rookie-level farm team, has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
Yancarlos Santiago, a left-hander playing rookie ball for the Los Angeles Angels, and free-agent right-hander Ysmael Carmona have been suspended 25 games apiece following a violation of the drug prevention and treatment program.
There have been 88 suspensions under the minor league drug program this year and five in the big league program.
SHORT HOPS
Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday left the game versus the New York Mets with lower back tightness. The team said Holliday is day to day. … The White Sox recalled right-hander Dylan Axelrod from Double-A Birmingham. … The Nationals reinstated right-hander Chien-Ming Wang from the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Corey Brown from Triple-A Syracuse. … The Giants purchased the contract of infielder Emmanuel Burriss from Triple-A Fresno and recalled right-hander Dan Otero and left-hander Dan Runzler. Right-hander Eric Hacker was designated for assignment. … The Royals recalled right-hander Jeremy Jeffress from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
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