On Sunday morning Joey Votto was scratched from the Cincinnati Reds lineup before game 1 of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. He reported symptoms out of caution that morning, but had not tested positive on any test up to that point. The Reds placed him on the injured list as a result – but the COVID-19 injured list doesn’t require a set amount of time for a stay, just that a player test negative twice with the two tests coming 24 hours or more apart with no positive tests mixed in.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that Joey Votto tested negative for COVID-19 and has traveled back to Cincinnati. Had he tested positive, then he would have had to stay in Detroit to quarantine. Morosi is also reporting that the team is optimistic he could return to the lineup as soon as today. That would be a much quicker turnaround than expected given that it took both Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel, who also reported symptoms but didn’t test positive, four days AND an appeal in order to be allowed to play.
NEWS: Joey Votto has tested negative for COVID-19 and traveled back to Cincinnati, sources say. #Reds are optimistic he will return to the active roster soon, perhaps as early as today. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 3, 2020
Update: 3:20pm ET
Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that Joey Votto is ready to go and is in the lineup tonight for the Cincinnati Reds.
Joey Votto is active and will start tonight. #Reds https://t.co/Xt4lvUhj70
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 3, 2020
Since he was placed on the injured list it requires a roster move. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic is now reporting that the move was optioning outfielder Aristides Aquino to the Prasco Park roster.
OK, so if he never tested positive, then the 2 test rule doesn’t apply? This is good news, even if it will take one more day. Now I’m hoping the lineup we’ve been seeing is the regular one. That’s the best opportunity to take the Tribe as far as I am concerned.
I could be wrong, but it felt like we learned with Moustakas and Senzel that the 2 test rule did apply.
It’s all still confusing.
Yep … color me confused (or colour in Joey’s case)
Not sure the team is better with him if the Reds expect to win. Seems to fold like a cheap lawn chair under pressure. No pressure, he does good.
2 out RISP: .979 OPS
Late and close: .881 OPS
Tie Game: .938 OPS
Game within 1-run: .933 OPS
I wish all players folded like that.
You are going off career stats here Doug. He is nothing close to what he once was.
The statement made was that he folds under pressure. I showed that he in fact does not fold under pressure.
If the statement was “Joey Votto isn’t as good as he used to be”, I wouldn’t have responded, because that’s pretty easily provable.
Joey Votto has been great in the clutch his entire career. Not sure which Joey Votto you’re watching.
Interestingly enough, at the same time that I got the email alert for this post, the Reds lineup alert from At Bat popped up.
No Votto, yet, but good to see Moose back in the lineup.
BTW, any guesses as why every normal night game has been starting at 6:40pm instead of the usual 7:10pm?
Being on the West Coast, it’s become a real pain in the butt to watch these games from the start.
Hey buddy, just because you have known me for like half your life now doesn’t mean you get to break the rules on the language. You can curse at me next time you’re in town.
No clue why the schedule is 640 again with no fans. Maybe they saw better ratings with those games by comparison and thought that it helps?
I just naturally speak degenerate language. Didn’t even realize my thumbs typed that.
I imagine 7:10 was to allow fans time to get to the ballpark after work, so in common sense, this would still apply if watching at home.
Maybe it’s to pre-empt the schedule of the other sports as they return / near return.
That manure was funny!
Doug I can’t top that one! Lol
I’m glad that they start earlier so that my kids can see most of the games before bedtime. (Of course, Indy is in the wrong time zone, but I digress.)
The Reds have no responsibility to cater to fans on the west coast.
Quit yer whinin. I’m in Alaska trying to catch games.
Good news for me = no blackouts and we’re playing baseball. Bad news = I got nothing.
Just weird to me that votto Senzel and moustakas all had symptoms and tested negative. It is not like this is February and the flu is circulating in the community. I hope these arent all false negative readings and in a few days everyone on the team gets it
We don’t know exactly what happened with Votto or Senzel, but Moustakas seemed to believe his was from food poisoning.
Well, I think of any of the many symptoms and then I’m surprised is this won’t happen a lot. Wake up with a sore/dry throat from a cold hotel room? Irritation? Random headache? Indigestion? So many things that happen to even a healthy body.
What should happen is that Votto, Senzel, and Moose should be praised up and down for being proactive and keeping chances from becoming the Marlins very low. Sucks to have them miss individual games, but much less than cancelling a week’s worth of games. Good job Reds and staff. Keep reporting it, don’t shrug it off.
I think that even in summer there are “bugs” around, just fewer people catch them due to less time in confined spaces. Unfortunately, right now, anytime someone doesn’t feel well, it needs to be confirmed if it is COVID-19 or just some bug or food poisoning. Life in 2020….
Correct.
Let me tell you how terrible it’s been over this year as someone with asthma. Any time I’m dealing with any of that all I can think about is “is this it?” and then when the “rib cage pain” as I call it hits, I somehow feel better that “it’s only my asthma and my lungs aren’t taking in as much air right now”.
The overtly serious demeanor in Doug Gray’s profile pic keeps me from commenting for fear he may reply and leave me cowering in the fetal position in a pool of my own swill.
Time to update the photo I guess….. let me see what I can do.
Test.
It worked. Hopefully this one is a little bit more friendly.
Yaaaay! I will now feel much more confident in my dunderheaded & non-sensical posts, with a touch less fear of ample repercussions from Mr. Gray. Keep up the good work sir.
Horseshoe Bend. It’s out in Arizona…. I’ve stopped there while coming back from Goodyear a few times. It’s wonderful.
https://horseshoebend.com/
Great to hear for all the reasons one can imagine.
Meanwhile, around the NL Central … Dirty Birds not heading to Motown now.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/08/tuesdays-cardinals-game-highly-unlikely-to-be-played.html
From what I heard a bunch of the Cards went to a casino last week. They seem to have no problem gambling with everyone’s lives so think they should forfeit the rest of their games since they don’t care.
While there are of course a million reasons to lie about this, John Mozeliak just told the media in St. Louis that after the contract tracing they’ve done that the organization is confident that their outbreak began in St. Louis – which kind of takes out the whole “they got it at the casino” thing.
MLB or the individual teams are going to have to put some teeth into enforcing health and safety protocols. They would need the players association to agree, but suspending those in violation for the remainder of the year, without pay, would seem to be the way to do it.
Happy Votto back.
Unhappy Aquino sent down.
I’m not convinced Winker or Davidson are better DH options.
Agree should have been Davidson down since he’s really a DH, rather have Aquino up.
Aquino will be back at some point. Especially this season. Hard to argue with the managers/front office that really get to know these guys.
I would think double headers would generally be bad for most teams. Typically teams split these games. It also would be taxing on your pitching staff.