CINCINNATI — Joey Votto blistered a ball off Cubs starter Alec Mills at Wrigley Field earlier this month. Statcast measured the exit velocity at 99.2 mph. It looked like a double, at least, before center fielder Albert Almora Jr. sprinted toward the brick wall and made a sliding basket catch over his shoulder.



Votto turned and walked back to the dugout.



On the Fox Sports Ohio broadcast, Chris Welsh said, “Votto thought he hit it hard enough to get it out of here, and I did, too. For a moment, it was going to land in the basket.”



Two days later, Votto was standing up a little straighter in the box, and he was choking up less on the bat. Two days later, his right hand was more around the knob.



“I hit a ball relatively well in Chicago, and Almora made that sliding catch, and after a while, it’s like you get sick and tired of hitting a ball good and it getting caught in fair territory,” Votto said Monday.