by Gerry Fraley, Special to FOXSports.com

He is the young (25) and extremely talented first baseman with Cincinnati. Votto does everything the right way, whether it is at the plate or in the community.

"Maybe that's why he's my son's favorite player,'' Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Everyone likes Joey. He's wonderful on and off the field. He's the type of person I'd like my son to be.''

But even .357 hitters have problems.

After missing five games because of dizziness related to an inner-ear infection, Votto returned to the lineup with a two-homer game against Cleveland on May 23. A week later, after meeting with general manager Walt Jocketty and Baker, Votto left the club.

He has been on the disabled list since May 30 because of what the Reds described as "stress-related issues.''

Votto is lucky.

Reds management, including Baker, told him to go away for however long he needs to clear his mind. The Reds did that even though Votto's absence left a large hole in the middle of the lineup. Votto has been the most potent bat in what has otherwise been a middle-of-the-pack offense.

That is not a consideration, Baker said. Winning is important, but a player's emotional well-being takes precedence. The Reds did not want to lose Joey Votto, the person.

"We're concerned about him,'' Baker said. "You're always concerned about one of your players when there are personal and private situations involved.

Khalil Greene is one in a growing line of players deal with stress/anxiety. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

"Nobody knows who this type of thing will affect or when it will affect someone. You deal with it every day in this game.''

Teams are getting the message.

The game is harder on the mind than it is on the body, but the predominant "macho'' culture previously rejected the notion of getting professional help for emotional issues. Do that, and you instantly carry the stigma of being "soft.'' That belief helped waste careers and ruin lives.

Oakland blazed a trail in the 1980s with the work of Karl Kuehl and Dr. Harvey Dorfman, who focused on the mental approach to the game. The Athletics were in a distinct minority.

Righthander Zack Greinke's success with Kansas City this season could become the best thing to happen to the mental welfare of players.

In 2006, Greinke had a meltdown during a spring training throwing session. The old-school approach would have been for the Royals to jump on him. A roster move would have been explained as the result of a strained hamstring or sprained ankle.

The management team at the time — general manager Allard Baird and manager Buddy Bell — took another approach. They backed off and encouraged Greinke to seek professional help. The Royals also hid nothing. Doing that, Baird said, would have suggested there was something shameful about Greinke's condition.

Three years later, he ranks among the best starting pitchers in the game.

Baird said that was not part of his motivation at the time. He and Bell simply wanted to help Greinke function in society.

Clubs are not as altruistic. They want to protect their big investments in players. Greinke's remarkable climb back has shown teams that mental welfare cannot be overlooked in that process. It is a great step forward for the game.

The Royals' handling of Zack Greinke may have started a trend. ( Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

St. Louis took the same approach this season with troubled shortstop Khalil Greene.

As his performance deteriorated, Greene became increasingly withdrawn from the club. When Greene went on the disabled list because of anxiety, general manager John Mozeliak explained the move as "we're interested foremost in doing what's best for Khalil'' even though it left the Cardinals short-handed in the infield.

"It's not as if it's a controllable thing,'' said Greene, whose placid exterior masked his pain. "A lot of the stuff is hard to explain. It's not easy to deal with, and it's not fun, either. It's hard.''

Other cases this season have not been as dramatic.

Tampa Bay put lefthander Scott Kazmir on the disabled list to give him a mental break from issues about his delivery, which had frustrated him. The New York Mets arranged for a sports psychologist to work with righthander Mike Pelfrey when a long-buried problem with balks surfaced.

All embraced the help.

"I admire how Khalil came forward and is dealing with this stuff,'' Baker said. "He can help a lot of people by doing that. You look at him from the other side of the field, and you think he's doing well. You never know.

"It's tough to explain, tough to understand, tough to deal with.''

Votto is different in that he was at the top of his game when the anxieties became too much. Baker understands there is not always a direct relationship between performance and outlook. He learned from being around a family member who suffers from depression that mental problems do consider statistics.

Baker said there is more pressure in the game now than at any time in his career, which began when he broke in as a 19-year-old outfielder with Atlanta in 1968. He listed factors ranging from increased salaries to the proliferation of fantasy leagues.

To counter the pressures, Baker relates what famed NFL coach Bill Walsh told him in a private conversation shortly before his death. Maintain a balance in your life, Walsh told Baker. Keep everything in perspective.

Easier said than done.

"That is very tough to do in our game,'' Baker said. "It's a high-pressure world. Sometimes, they (anxieties) wake you up you up in the middle of the night. They do with me, and I'm not even playing.''

Playing can be the easy part, because the body takes over. It's all the other times that can cause problems for everyone in the game.