In today’s first live batting practice session, Joey Votto hit a home run off Carlos Contreras.

Now that might not seem all that special. It’s only batting practice and it’s only Spring Training, but this is a guy coming off a bad knee injury last season. It was an injury that kept him from hitting a home run since June. And he hit a home run today.

Votto took Contreras’ first pitch.

“Too low,” he said.

The next one was a strike. Votto crushed it, sending over the fence in center.

“Tweet that, John,” Jay Bruce said. “He’s back.”

Consider it done, Jay.

The Cincinnati Reds and Homer Bailey have avoided arbitration. The two have reached agreement on a one-year contract. The amount isn’t available yet, but Bailey asked for $5.8 million, while the Reds offered $4.75 million. It’s likely somewhere between there.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said it was toughest year he’s ever had as far as arbitration.

“Absolutely,” he said. “With the numbers of cases and quality of players. We came very close to going to the hearing with (Mat) Latos. We’re all very happy to have it behind us.”

That ends the Reds dealings with arbitration for the year. They managed to sign all of their players before a hearing was required. That’s good, because no employee responds well to hearing their employer tell people how much they suck.

Even though Bailey’s deal was for one year, the Reds will be pursuing a multi-year contract at some point in the future.

Shin-Soo Choo, the Reds biggest off-season acquisition, reported to camp yesterday and was tailed by 25 members of the South Korean media.

They followed his every move — from the batting cages for early work to outfield practice to batting practice on the field. Most of the contingent will spend five days in Goodyear. During the season, however, only one reporter follows Choo.

Only one during the season? That’s good. I mean, unless Rob Butcher knows how to read and speak South Korean, he’d never be able to determine how easy the South Koreans were to control.

Thanks to a solid roster and upgrades during the offseason, the Cincinnati Reds don’t have many story lines to follow during Spring Training. But there is one that, if you’re like me, you’ve been wondering about: the status of Joey Votto’s knee.

Votto missed a lot of time from it after the All Star break last year, and when he returned, his power was gone. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one of the early arrivals to camp, so no reporter has been able to interview him. However, team doctor Timothy Kremchek has checked out Votto, and Kremchek is at camp already.

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer cornered Kremchek to ask what every fan wants to know.

Medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek visited Votto in Florida two weeks ago and reports that Votto’s surgically repaired left knee is fine.

“He’s doing well,” Kremchek said. “He looks great.”

That’s an encouraging note. We won’t really know until games start and Votto hits his first home run. The team needs a healthy Votto this year.

The Cincinnati Reds announced today that they had avoided arbitration with starting pitcher Mat Latos by signing him to a two-year $11.5 million deal.

Latos will receive salaries of $4.25 million this year and $7.25 million in 2014 under Tuesday’s deal.

The deal buys out all but one of Latos’ arbitration-eligible years. He is now due to face arbitration once more before the 2015 season, the final one before he hits free agency.

I’m excited about the deal. It follows the signing of Shin-Soo Choo yesterday and leaves only Homer Bailey in need of a contract. We’ll see if the Reds can get a multi-year deal for Bailey, too.