The Cincinnati Reds are coping with the loss of Joey Votto, who went on the injured list with left shoulder discomfort. The Red legend is now 40 years old, but that hasn’t stopped him from planning his return, and hopefully sooner than later, he said to the media recently.

The Reds have added a veteran to fill in for Votto during his time on the IL. Recently Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz had a hilarious reaction to finally meeting Shohei Ohtani in person.

Votto did not give an exact timetable for his planned return to the franchise, but he is eligible for activation on September 3.

“I’m going to work toward that, of course,” Votto said according to MLB.com.

Reds General Manager Nick Krall lamented the injury and what it means for the team. According to Krall, Reds players and staff could see Votto’s shoulder getting weaker as the injury played out in real time over the past few weeks.

“Frankly, it sucks. For him, the club, everybody,” Krall said. “He wants to be a part of this as much as we want him to be a part of it. He’s a good veteran leader on this club. But you also want him to be healthy because if he’s not healthy and can’t contribute, that’s tough as well. Our goal is to get him healthy and continue this run.”

Votto said the shoulder issue was affecting his swing.

“I feel like I’m not quite at the place physically I’d like to be and it’s seeping into my swing,” Votto said.

Reds Manager David Bell said that the team is hoping to get Votto back as soon as possible.

“For me, it’s a day-to-day thing and a commitment over the next 10 days to strengthen his shoulder with a goal and a plan of getting him back as quick as we can to our team,” Bell said. “It’s disappointing, a setback, but there’s still time in the season where he can strengthen it and get back and continue being a big part of our team.”

Votto is the in the final year of his contract with a $20 million team option for next season along with a $7 million buyout.

“I can’t speak for that, for the future, as far as my career,” Votto said. “I’m just thinking about getting better so I can be strong and healthy on a consistent basis in a game that demands that you’re strong and healthy on a consistent basis. As far as thinking about career stuff, I’m looking forward to getting back in the box and feeling great and performing well and helping the team move toward our collective goal.”