The Cincinnati Reds are still hoping Joey Votto, who missed his third straight game on Sunday, will avoid the disabled list because of a left knee injury.

Votto has a strain of the distal quadriceps near his knee. Bryan Price said that "we don't want to DL him and find out in two or three days he's ready to play."

Votto missed 48 games in 2012 after he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He's hitting .257 with six home runs and an .859 OPS in 39 games this season.