Plenty of work and recovery ahead on Joey Votto's journey to crack Blue Jays lineup

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BRADENTON, Fla. — The road back to the major leagues with the Blue Jays — if it is to happen — won’t be a short one for Joey Votto.

Jays manager John Schneider said on Monday that as Votto continues to recover from an ankle injury, he’s likely to remain in Florida where he can work out and return to strength at the team’s player development complex.

After that, a minor league assignment would await and any further decisions would be based on performance.

“He’s moving around better and he’s doing more and more activity in terms of strengthening and rehabbing the ankle,” Schneider said of the injury the Toronto native suffered after his one and only at-bat with the Jays this spring back on March 17 in Clearwater. “I would assume in the next few days he’ll be back at baseball (activities.)”

The injury, which happened when he stumbled on a bat in the Jays dugout after he belted a home run in his debut plate appearance, ended any thought of an early assignment with the team. Correspondingly, on Sunday Schneider announced that another left-hitting DH, Daniel Vogelbach, had made the team.

Votto, meanwhile, still needs to have a simulation of a proper spring training before any decision can be made.

“We’re in touch with Joey to what he’s comfortable with,” Schneider said. “And he still wants to have pretty much of a normal spring-training buildup which he started to do and then and then couldn’t. But if he starts here and gets his legs underneath them a little bit before he goes anywhere, (that’s) probably the best bet.”

As for Vogelbach, Schneider said he made it clear when informing him of the decision that he had earned his spot.

“To be brutally honest, I told him not to worry about (Votto),” Schneider said. “There were a lot of variables with Joey. But for (Vogelbach), the last thing we want is for him to be looking for his shoulder. There’s no real need for him for that at this time. What he did in camp earned him a roster spot.

“As long as he is doing what he’s capable of, he’s going to help us win.”

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