Votto homers on first spring pitch for Jays

Joey Votto sure knows how to make an instant impression, going deep on the first pitch he faced as a member of his hometown Blue Jays.

The veteran first baseman lined a 392-foot homer to left-center off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler in the first inning Sunday in Clearwater, Florida, in his inaugural spring-training game with Toronto.

Granted, there was some debate about whether the ball actually went out, and Votto momentarily stopped at second base. But the umpires ruled it a homer and he continued on his way to home.

A chance to go home is what led Votto to Toronto in the first place. He agreed to a minor-league contract with his hometown Blue Jays earlier this month after spending 17 seasons with the Reds.

Votto has been ramping up for his spring-training debut with the Blue Jays in minor-league games.

The 40-year-old became a free agent last fall after the end of a $251.5 million, 12-year contract with the Reds, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Richview Collegiate Institute (Toronto, Ontario).

A six-time All-Star and the 2010 NL MVP, Votto has a .294 average with 356 homers, 1,144 RBI and a .409 on-base percentage in 2,056 games. Cincinnati declined his $20 million option for 2024.

SCHEFFLER TAKES TPC

Already the best in the world, Scottie Scheffler added another layer to his legend Sunday. He became the first player to win backto-back in 50 years of The Players Championship by matching the biggest comeback and the lowest closing round by a winner.

Scheffler holed out for eagle from the fourth fairway and shot four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, sending him to an 8-under 64 and a one-shot victory that wasn’t decided until the final putt.

Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark all had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie on the daunting 18th hole at the TPC Sawgrass.

Clark took the last shot, a putt just inside 18 feet that dipped into the cup on the left side and came out on the right side, leaving him stunned as he placed his hand over his mouth.

Scheffler, who started the final round five shots behind, finished at 20-under 268 and collected $4.5 million from the $25 million purse.