Reds place Joey Votto (knee) on 10-day DL

Travis Durkee

Reds place Joey Votto (knee) on 10-day DL image

The Reds placed All-Star first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a bruised lower right leg.

Nationals pitcher Ryan Madson hit Votto with a pitch Aug. 4, and Votto hasn’t quite been the same since. He played two games after the Madson HBP,  but sat out the next two. In the six games since, Votto has gone 3-for-17 with four strikeouts.

"I did not expect it to take this long," Votto told MLB.com on Tuesday when discussing his lingering knee issues. "It's not anything I haven't been through or guys haven't been through before. I'm just hoping it gets better sooner than later."

Votto, who started all 162 games last year, has had a down year with only nine home runs and 55 RBIs in 118 games. His .284 batting average is his lowest in any season in which he’s played more than 62 games.

The Reds (52-69) recalled outfielder Aristides Aquino from Double-A Pensacola to fill Votto’s roster spot.

Travis Durkee