It was a hasty and disappointing end to the season for Reds’ first goal Joey Votto this year. A shoulder injury and the subsequent operation made him fear for the rest of his career.
But for Joey Votto, he knows that if he is able to keep a constant level of play next season, his place in the team is assured. For that, he knows he won’t be able to play the same way he played this year.
“If I play the way I played this year, I won’t have the chance to play anymore,” maintains Joey Votto, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “This level of performance is not sustainable. Nobody wants to give a chance in the Majors to a player who performs like that. It’s clear. »
This performance, Joey Votto says he owes in part to his injury. For the first time in his career, he posted an average of less than .350 on base, in addition to having a more powerful presence of .689. That’s not to mention the fact that he finished his season with no hits in his last 22 at bats.
However, Votto does not want to come up with excuses when he takes stock of the early end to his season.
I think there may have been a link between my performance and my injury, but maybe not.
-Joey Votto
He believes this is a question he will ask himself as he prepares for the next season.
The ultimate goal for Votto is of course to be part of a championship team, but as he says, the performance of his teammates remains beyond his control. He will certainly make sure to be at the top of his game himself and work to improve his game day by day as he enters 2023 in the last guaranteed year of his contract.
