From Will Carroll:

Joey Votto (30 DXL)
I won’t get all personal here, but UTK exists in large part because of panic attacks. That makes me feel for Votto and Greene as they go through different situations. Votto’s “stress-related issues” are vague, but in a day and age where mental health doesn’t carry the stigma that it once did, it’s good that both are able to get the care they need without having to face the kinds of issues or taunting that players of the past did.

Willy Taveras (3 DXL)
It’s never good when a speed guy is having leg problems. It’s worse when said speed guy doesn’t really have any other skills. Taveras was brought to Cincinnati because he’s fast. Now that he has a strained hamstring, the worry is that the Reds don’t have the depth to cope, especially with Votto out as well. Dusty Baker has plenty of options for the outfield with Chris Dickerson and Jerry Hairston Jr. (especially once Edwin Encarnacion is back in a few weeks), but there’s a stylistic adjustment that Baker will need to make as well. Without Votto and Encarnacion, the team lacks power. Without Taveras, the team lacks speed as well. Managers usually don’t balance the two, swinging from one to the other; teams either “wait on homers” or they “manufacture runs” in the old-school way. Lacking both, Baker is going to shift where he can and look to his pitching staff. (Of course, getting Baker focused on pitching is seldom a good thing.) Taveras’ hamstring has been lingering for over a week, so even if he avoids the DL, look for Baker to get Taveras some days off, especially if he can find ways to string them together.

that hangs out with Reds players. I think the Votto situation is going to be much bigger than anyone realizes.

Apparently there are three people – total – that know what’s going on. Dusty, Jocketty, and Ryan Hanigan, who is Votto’s best friend on the team.