It didn’t take Joey Votto long to settle in with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Votto, who signed a minor-league contract with the club earlier this month, homered in his first plate appearance as a Blue Jay during Grapefruit League action Sunday in a split-squad game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.
Votto, batting second in the order and playing first base, connected on the first pitch he saw from Phillies ace Zack Wheeler to open the scoring.
The ball appeared to hit the top of the wall and returned to the field, however, officials ruled it a homer.
It was the lone at-bat on the day for Votto though as he rolled his right ankle in the dugout and was taken out of the game as a precaution, according to Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. Glenn Santiago replaced Votto, who is day-to-day.
“It hurt like the Dickens,” Votto said of the injury. “So, I came out of the game. Not intentionally. I wanted to play. I was scheduled to play five [innings]and to get three at-bats.”
The 40-year-old from Etobicoke, Ont., signed with his hometown club on March 8 after spending 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.
Votto holds a career .294 batting average with 356 homers and 1,144 RBIs.
