The Cincinnati Reds have activated first baseman Joey Votto from the disabled list, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com:

Votto activated from DL, but not in #reds lineup vs. #phillies bit.ly/Q2vSMc

— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) September 4, 2012

While Votto has been activated, he is not in the Reds’ lineup for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Teams generally wait until the returning player is ready to play before activating them, but because rosters have expanded it’s generally a non-issue in September.

Votto has been out since the middle of July with a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. Prior to his activation, the 28-year-old appeared in five minor league rehab contests, collecting two hits, including a home run, over eleven at-bats.

Before he hit the disabled list, Votto was having another MVP-caliber season. He’s hit at a clip of .342/.465/.604 with thirty-six doubles and fourteen home runs over 298 at-bats.