Cincinnati Reds place Joey Votto on disabled list; activate Jay Bruce

When news broke that Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto was diagnosed with a quad strain after an MRI, it was universally seen as positive news for both the player and the club, and there was real optimism that Votto could avoid the disabled list. Unfortunately, Votto was placed on the DL on Wednesday afternoon, but on the bright side for Cincinnati, they will get some “pop” returning to their lineup in the form of outfielder Jay Bruce.

The 30-year-old Votto has not appeared in a game since May 15th, and that makes this a bit easier for the Reds to swallow since he will be eligible to return by the end of the month. Before going down with the injury, Votto was struggling a bit (at least by his standards) with a .257/.410/.449 slash line and six home runs, but he has been their centerpiece for some time, and it is never a good thing to see a superstar hit the DL.

Cincinnati was granted a bit of a reprieve, however, as they activated 27-year-old outfielder Jay Bruce from the disabled list, where he had been since early May as a result of a knee injury. Bruce has also struggled this season (.363 slugging percentage and only three home runs), but he has a career OPS over .800, and his power potential will be a great addition to Cincinnati’s lineup.

The Reds have really struggled to this point (20-24 record), but while this news isn’t great, it could have been far worse for both Votto and the club.