With Joey Votto and Khalil Greene both going on the disabled list due to anxiety disorders, and Zack Greinke emerging as one of the best starters in baseball after missing 2007 with a similar problem, we should probably expect more players to follow suit.

While one might not be sympathetic to sensitive multi-millionaire 20-somethings being asked to play baseball for a living, it's beside the point. Greinke got better, and it was well worth it for the Royals to give him the time he needed to do so, just like it's well worth it to pull pitchers after a certain number of pitches or let them opt for surgery and the time off required to heal.

And just as one wonders how many potentially great pitchers never made it because there were no MRI exams to diagnose a UCL tear and no Tommy John surgery to repair it, there are probably just as many players who would have been great had they been able to stand the pressure and the limelight. Perhaps, some are never cut out for that, but others - like Greinke apparently - were as long as they got proper treatment.

Of course, there are times when one needs to play through an injury - either physical or psychological - and performing despite any type of discomfort is a mark of professionalism. But one needs to know in both cases where to draw the line - is pushing it going to make the injury worse, or is this a case where one needs to play through it and get over it.

The other issue is there are degrees of anxiety, just like degrees of physical injury. Some players play a little banged up, and it affects their stats. When they finally get healthy, e.g. Carl Crawford, they perform far better. But what about young pitchers like Clayton Kershaw who suddenly become wild when they reach the majors? It's not as if the strike zone is smaller or the distance from the mound is further. He's walking the ballpark every other start because he's nervous! He's not composed or comfortable - yet. Over time - just like at any job - one gets more comfortable with experience and performs closer to one's peak abilities. It might take some players a few seasons before they're truly relaxed enough to play their best in front of 30,000 people on a nightly basis. Some will get that chance, and some will not.

The process of player evaluation for fantasy purposes has grown far more sophisticated in recent years with RotoWire and other sites hiring injury experts and people with scouting backgrounds. But maybe we need to be more savvy about the psychological side of the game, too.