GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Heading into Spring Training, the biggest question for the Reds was the status of beloved first baseman Joey Votto, who had surgery on Aug. 19, 2022, to repair his left rotator cuff and biceps.

The club got a partial answer Sunday afternoon when Votto made his Cactus League debut. He finished 0-for-2 in Cincinnati's 8-1 loss to the Dodgers at Goodyear Ballpark.

“I knew it was getting close,” Reds manager David Bell said ahead of Votto’s return. “I could tell by Joey’s mood and attitude. He loves to play, so I could tell it's getting closer.”

The six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP has been rehabbing since the surgery. Votto got his first action in Reds Minor League games on Friday and Saturday in Goodyear, where he racked up five at-bats and played at full-game speed.

Sunday’s appearance was a big leap in Votto’s progress, but it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be ready for Opening Day.

“I’ve got 162 games to play,” Votto said. “I’m not worried about one game. I’m more concerned about being able to come out, play well and be healthy for as much of the season as possible. If they had some sort of system where I could join Opening Day and then continue my at-bats, then I would do that. But they don’t have that, so I’m not really setting the marker.”

Votto will be evaluated on a day-by-day basis in these final two weeks of Spring Training. He doesn’t feel any physical hurdles but wants to take his time before returning to the field full-time.

“He was very careful and thoughtful and worked extremely hard to get to this point,” Bell said. “Here we are. He has his legs underneath him. He did a lot of defensive work. He worked hard on his swing. Now, it’s just getting into the game action for all of those things, which is an important part of this. Joey knows himself well.”

Votto, 39, is entering the final guaranteed year on the 10-year, $225 million extension he signed in April 2012. His contract includes a $20 million club option for '24 with a $7 million buyout.

At the time of his surgery, Votto said he suspected the injury dated back to 2015. It wasn’t until an MRI in ‘22 revealed its severity. That year was the worst of Votto’s career, as he batted .205 with a .689 OPS, 11 homers and 41 RBIs.

“Only the past maybe three months or so has it been painful to the point where it’s difficult to lift [and] hurts to sleep,” Votto said last August.

Votto said it was important for him to play Sunday because there are no simulated games scheduled and he didn’t want to go back-to-back days without getting at-bats.

“I haven’t mentioned this, but I’ve had fantastic support from surgeons, physical therapists and strength coaches,” Votto said. “I’ve been in such good hands and I’m grateful for that. I wouldn’t be here right now with the opportunity to compete without their help. It was a complicated surgery and it’s not easy. It was a real challenge to come back from.”

This will be Votto’s first full camp since 2019. Spring Training was cut short in ‘20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In ‘21, Votto had COVID-19 during camp. In ‘22, Spring Training started late because of the MLB lockout.

“It’s nice to get a full camp,” Votto said. “I feel like I’m more prepared this year than I have been in a while, so I’m going to need to accumulate some at-bats first.”

The Reds have a couple of options if Votto isn’t ready for Opening Day. Tyler Stephenson and Wil Myers both have experience playing first base, while Reds No. 7 prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand has made the case to make the team, as he leads the Reds in home runs (four), RBIs (13), hits (15) and batting average (.577).