It took a while, but Joey Votto has finally decided to be on the roster for Canada’s World Baseball Classic team.

That does not mean he will definitely play.

“As far as playing, I’m going to have to wait until the day before to decide,” Votto said.

Good. He better stay healthy and uninjured, otherwise there will be serious repercussions for America’s hat.

As for the other player considering playing in the World Baseball Classic, Johnny Cueto, he will not be joining the Dominican team. The Reds exercised their right to prevent him from playing since he finished the season on the disabled list.

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.

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.