CINCINNATI — Joey Votto is defending the decision to wait more than two weeks before getting an MRI that found torn cartilage in his left knee.

The Cincinnati Reds first baseman hurt the knee while sliding into a base on June 29, but didn’t get an MRI because he didn’t think the injury was serious. He kept playing and the knee improved, so he didn’t feel a need for tests.

“I was improving, so I would say nobody’s at fault here,” Votto said on Wednesday.

When the knee got worse over the weekend, he got an MRI that found the tear and led to surgery. He’s expected to miss three to four weeks.

Votto began rehabilitating the knee Wednesday.