Reds' Votto getting back into swing of things

Reds first baseman Joey Votto said his swing had recently become "flawed," and, working alongside Reds hitting coach Don Long, he's come closer to correcting the flaw.

"Certainly, there's some subtle adjustments to make, but I feel like I'm headed in the right direction," Votto said between games of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Votto had three hits, including his 17th home run of the season, in the first game of the doubleheader, marking his fourth multi-hit game in the first five games after the All-Star break. Heading into the nightcap, Votto was 12 for 24 since the break with two home runs and two doubles.

After a hot start to the season, Votto struggled in May (.253/.349/.358) but has rebounded. Entering the second game, Votto has reached base safely in 12 straight games and 81 of 91 appearances this season.

"We play over six months, all of us have aches and pains or changes in our body or something creeps in and a month later, you realize it's become something you never wanted it to be," Votto said. "That's the advantage of our era now, we get to watch video, we get to chat about it and see it from a bunch of different directions and make the adjustments. Hopefully it produces a consistent swing."

It wasn't a feeling that things where out of whack, but Votto said the results spoke for themselves.

"The ball speaks for you, the way the ball comes off the bat, timing with the pitchers, how you feel at the plate – that does plenty for you," he said. "After that you go to the video or have discussions with the right people and you go from there."

REDS WIN FIRST COMPETITIVE BALANCE PICK: The Reds won the first competitive balance pick in the 2016 draft in the lottery held Wednesday.

The Reds will get the first of six competitive balance picks between the first and second rounds of next June's draft. There are six more picks between the second and third rounds.

Teams with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets are granted the opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through the lottery. The 10 clubs with the lowest revenues and the 10 clubs in the smallest markets were entered into a lottery for the six selections immediately following the first round of the draft.

Of the 15 eligible teams, the Royals, Cardinals and Mariners were not selected for the picks.

The 12 competitive balance picks are the only picks in the MLB draft that can be traded. Last season the Marlins won the top competitive balance pick and traded it in a trade with the Astros at the trade deadline.