Cincinnati Reds notebook: How Hall of Famer Scott Rolen mentored Joey Votto

When Scott Rolen was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on July 31, 2009, the newest member elected to the Hall of Fame had a locker next to second-year first baseman Joey Votto.

“He was kind of an eyes and ears open, and mouth shut guy,” Rolen said of Votto. “I think he was looking for some help, not that I’m this guy or that, but he was at the point in his career where he knew he had the ability and maybe he just wasn’t sure where he stood in the clubhouse. He’s an eccentric dude with an eccentric personality.”

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Former Reds general manager Walt Jocketty challenged Rolen to help usher in a culture change when he traded for him. Jocketty wanted Rolen to speak up if he saw things he didn’t like because it was a young team.

Rolen took a lot of pride in his baserunning and defense, and that was infectious to his teammates. If Rolen saw a player laying on the couch in the clubhouse when the starting pitcher went out for the start of the game, he made sure to say something.

Then with a guy like Votto, who says Rolen was a role model, he made sure to connect with a promising player at the beginning stages of his career.

“We just got to go out and eat together a little bit, talk together a little bit and be real honest with each other,” Rolen said. “I tried to be real honest with (Votto) and tell him as things went, your job is to go play. If you can’t play, then you don’t play, but you’re not any good. We had those type of conversations.”

Votto was voted National League Most Valuable Player in 2010, his first full season alongside Rolen.

"If any player is lucky enough to have a role model and a teammate like him, they’re as lucky as it gets," Votto said in a video he posted on Instagram. "I shaped my career, my effort and my work in his mold."

Joey Votto likely to have delayed start to camp, Nick Senzel still recovering

When the Reds begin workouts in Goodyear, Arizona next month, it’s unlikely Votto will be a full participant as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and damage to his bicep.

Votto is progressing as expected and he hasn’t been ruled out for Opening Day, but he admitted the rehab process was unlike anything he’s experienced.

“I think he’s going to be a little delayed there,” Reds general manager Nick Krall said. “That was expected at the beginning from when he had surgery that he wasn’t going to be unlimited, full-go at the beginning. We’ll just have to see where he comes in and go from there.”

Reds center fielder Nick Senzel underwent surgery to repair his broken toe in November when it wasn’t healing properly from the end of last season. It’s still uncertain whether he will be ready for the start of spring training, though manager David Bell says he’s still expected to be the starting center fielder on Opening Day.

“He can play all over the field and be an everyday player, but with where we are as a team, he still factors into center field a lot,” Bell said. “If something were to change there, I think Nick would be ready to incorporate more positions. We’re kind of going into the season where we left off. He’s still going to have to play center field, so that would be the focus right now.”

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Reliever Tejay Antone, who missed the entire 2022 season after he had Tommy John surgery, will be eased into spring training after he felt something in his forearm while ramping up his throwing progression. Antone has already reported to Arizona.

“That wasn’t from the Tommy John,” Krall said. “That was from his ramp up.”

Austin Hendrick, other outfield prospects headed to a minicamp

Austin Hendrick, the Reds’ first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, planned to fly to the Dominican Republic after spending two days on the caravan tour.

Not for an offseason vacation, but a minicamp for a group of Reds minor league outfielders.

Hendrick said he will meet special assistant Eric Davis and minor league outfield coordinator Kevin Mahar at the Reds’ complex in the Dominican Republic. He will be joined by fellow prospects Jay Allen II, Rece Hinds and Justice Thompson.

“Everybody said it’s going to be a little bit of a culture shock, but I’m excited,” said Hendrick, who trains in Pittsburgh during the offseason. “For me, I get to get outside again because it’s hard to get outside in the cold weather. I’ll get out, see some teammates again, try some different food and see the ball in the sky again without having to see snow go with it.”

Hendrick, a 21-year-old lefthanded hitter, is hoping to build off a strong end to the 2022 season. He possesses incredible bat speed and power, but strikeouts have plagued him since he was drafted. In his final 29 games, he had a .248 batting average and .369 on-base percentage at High-A Dayton with 18 walks and 33 strikeouts. Prior to that, he was hitting .206 with a .283 OBP in 80 games with 25 walks and 132 strikeouts.

“At the end of the season last year, I really started to find a groove,” said Hendrick, who totaled 21 homers and 21 doubles in 109 games between Single-A and High-A. “Personally, I’m trying to keep the strikeouts down to a minimum. Home runs are not really my main goal. I’m trying to get that batting average up. That’s something I’ve been working on with my two-strike approach. The home runs will come, they’re mistakes. I try not to focus on that and have some fun.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Scott Rolen mentored Joey Votto; Cincinnati Reds injury updates