3 years agoCincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (thumb) is heading to Triple-A Louisville to begin a rehab assignment, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Votto has been out since May 6 when he fractured his thumb after being hit by a pitch. There's no timetable just yet for his return, but it looks like he could return sometime this month barring any setbacks. Votto didn't exactly look impressive early on this year, slashing .226/.305/.425 over 29 games. However he could be a decent buy-low candidate, as his Statcast metrics suggest he should be in for a bounce-back at the plate. His .273 xBA, .377 xwOBA and .541 xSLG rank in the 78th, 87th and 89th percentiles respectively, while his 92.7 mph average exit velocity and 12.3 percent barrel rate are the best marks of his career in the Statcast era. Managers should monitor how he does in his rehab assignment.--Michael Grennell - RotoBaller
Source: Mark Sheldon