In his return from injury, Reds star Joey Votto hits a home run in his second at-bat against the Rockies.

For the first time in close to a year, Joey Votto made his presence known on Monday night.

Votto returned to the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup for their game against the Colorado Rockies after being out of the game for more than ten months due to multiple surgeries.

In addition, Votto hit a solo home run in his second at-bat at the Great American Ball Park, well above the right field wall, off of Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber. The Reds took a 3-1 lead after that shot.

In August, Votto had surgeries to repair a torn left rotator cuff and his left biceps, which kept him out of action for the final 46 games of last season. He made his first appearance in the lineup since August 16 on Monday, when he was activated from the 60-day injured list.

Prior to his return on Monday, the 39-year-old had been on two stints in the minor leagues. In 22 games with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, he hit.173 with three home runs and 11 RBI.

Last year, Votto, who won the NL MVP award in 2010, finished 15th in the league with a.266 batting average, 36 home runs, and 99 RBI. Votto’s 10-year, $225 million contract with the Reds is in its final year, and he has spent his entire career in Cincinnati.

On Monday night, the Reds held on to win 5-4, extending their winning streak to nine games and putting them ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central. Since 2013, the Reds have only made it to the postseason twice, each time losing in the wild-card round.

Votto stated, “I’ve been witness to the culture in this clubhouse.” Positive changes are occurring.