Toronto Blue Jays infielder Joey Votto was pulled from the Buffalo Bisons’ lineup shortly before he was expected to make his Triple-A debut on Firday.
The Blue Jays said Votto “tweaked” his right ankle and will be re-evaluated on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star from Toronto was expected to play for the Bisons on Friday agianst the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRaiders after missing time with ankle and lower back issues.
Votto, 40, was the 2010 National League MVP. He’s played 2,056 games during a 17-year major league career. He has a .294 career major league batting average with 356 home runs and 1,144 RBI. He signed a minor-league deal with Toronto on March 9.
Last season, he played 65 games for the Cincinnati Reds, the team he played with his entire major league career. He missed much of the season with a shoulder injury.
He appeared in one spring training game for the Blue Jays this year and homered in his only at-bat. He played 13 games with the Dunedin Blue Jays, a Single-A affiliate, this season.