LOS ANGELES – Joey Votto immediately popped up from the dirt after he was hit by a pitch to his helmet in the sixth inning Friday, giving a sigh of relief to any injury concerns, but he had a few words for pitcher Tyler Anderson on his walk to first base.
Votto was leading off the top of the sixth inning in the Cincinnati Reds’ 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and he was plunked by a 79-mph changeup on the sixth pitch of the at-bat in a 2-2 count.
“It wouldn’t be intentional with two strikes,” Votto said. “Obviously not. I wasn’t very angry. I was surprised and then we moved on.”
Both benches nearly cleared as they watched Votto walk to first base with some players taking a couple of steps onto the field.
“I just said, ‘I’m sorry. My bad.’ I just wanted to make sure he was OK,” Anderson said. “I don’t really know what happened there. He was upset. I couldn’t really hear what he was saying. He got hit, so he had a reason to be upset. The ball just slipped on a changeup.”
Mookie Betts was hit by a 91-mph fastball in the previous half-inning by Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez, but the Reds didn’t think it was a retaliatory pitch from Anderson.
“I think just when you get hit in the head, it really makes you mad,” Bell said. “I think it’s pretty much that simple.”
NO DECISION ON INDIA: Jonathan India exited Thursday’s game with a right hamstring strain after legging out an infield single. He’s expected to miss at least a couple of games and he didn’t participate in on-field pregame activities Friday.
“It’s a little bit sore,” Bell said Friday. “I was told (Thursday) night that he was doing so well after the game that he maybe even could play (Friday), but I don’t think that’s (going to happen). I think it’s going to be at least a couple of days. If that’s the case, that would be a great thing.”
The Reds added infielder Alejo Lopez to their taxi squad, a likely call-up if the Reds place India on the 10-day Injured List.
SENZEL FEELING BETTER: Nick Senzel was out of the lineup for the third straight game Friday, but he was finally feeling like himself again.
After the team traveled to Los Angeles, Senzel woke up sick Thursday. The Reds have a team rule that they cannot report to the ballpark if they are ill after most of their roster was sick for a two-week stretch in Sept. 2019.
“I think he and Ryan Hendrix had the same thing,” Bell said. “Ryan had missed (Wednesday’s game).”
INJURY UPDATES: Luis Castillo threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice session against Colin Moran and Donovan Solano. He drew three swings-and-misses, mixing offspeed pitches with his fastball, while the two hitters produced three balls in play and two foul balls.
“He looked good and talking to the pitching coaches after it, he was throwing 94-95 mph and it was just like he was playing catch,” Bell said.
Castillo ran the Dodger Stadium stairs afterward, one of his usual routines between starts. He will throw another live batting practice session in San Diego on Tuesday, and it’s possible he may be ready to begin a rehab assignment afterward.
Solano went through a full workout before Friday’s game, running the bases and fielding ground balls at third base. Recovering from a hamstring strain, he said he’s feeling better each day.
“He’s still got a little ways to go running,” Bell said.
Lucas Sims pitched a scoreless inning in his second outing of a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Louisville. He threw 17 pitches with one strikeout and one walk. He could return to the Reds’ bullpen by April 22 when they begin a homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals after their West Coast road trip.
The Reds stopped left-handed starter Mike Minor’s rehab assignment after he reported shoulder soreness. Pitchers are allotted 30 days on rehab assignments before teams must place them on a roster.
Minor returned to Cincinnati for treatment and could begin playing catch next week, but the shoulder setback will likely delay his return for at least a month.
MINOR-LEAGUE SIGNING: The Reds signed catcher Sandy León to a minor-league contract, adding some depth after Andrew Knapp opted out of his deal and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates when he didn’t make the Opening Day roster.
León, a switch-hitter, played in 83 games with the Miami Marlins last season, batting .183 with four homers and 14 RBI in 202 at-bats. He was in spring training with the Cleveland Guardians, but he opted out of his minor-league deal and became a free agent when he didn’t make their Opening Day roster.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joey Votto OK after hit on head by a pitch in Reds vs. Dodgers game