From the Windup: Oh, Injury Woes

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

As Joey Votto heads out to a rehab assignment, the Reds are anxiously awaiting the return of their best hitter. Votto hasn't started a game since May 27 -- when the Reds stood at 26-20. Since then, they've gone 8-11. As a team, the Reds are hitting .244 and rank 11th in the National League in runs scored. Votto is hitting .357 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in only 38 games. Translation: The Reds really, really need him. They aren't the only team in baseball that will be missing a star player in the upcoming weeks. After the jump, we'll list the Top 10 most important injuries in baseball moving forward in 2009.

Remember, I said moving forward. We are only talking about the affect of a player's absence to his team for the rest of theseason, not the season to this point. John Lackey, for example, wouldn't be a serious contender.

1. Roy Halladay, Blue Jays: Toronto is desperately trying to stay with the Red Sox and Yankees, and now the defending AL champion Rays are back in the mix. The Jays have only played that loaded trio nine times so far this season. Needless to say, they won't be able to hang without Doc.

2. Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: He's not the reason the offense is the biggest disappointment in baseball this year, but it's certainly one of the biggest reasons. He's the anchor, a consistent and clutch force in the lineup. By the time he finally comes back, it might be too late to rescue his teammates.

3. Jose Reyes, Mets: It's not just how good Reyes is atop the order that helps the Mets. It's what he adds to the mix in terms of disrupting the opposing pitchers when he's on the basepaths. It's his enthusiasm. It's the trickle-down effect of having someone so good leading off. The fact the Mets have hung close to Philly without Reyes (and Delgado) should scare the champs, at least a little bit.

4. Carlos Quentin, White Sox: With him, the White Sox lineup has a chance to be one of the most powerful in baseball. Without him, other players have suffered and they are merely mediocre as a whole. One big bat can make that kind of difference. And that one big bat may be out until August.

5. Jake Peavy, Padres: Not only are the Padres a brutal team, but now they likely won't be able to trade Peavy this season -- thus delaying the rebuilding process and making new ownership even more unhappy with having to support that albatross of a contract. In the process, we all lose: The Peavy trade rumors will continue until offseason at the absolute earliest.

6. Josh Hamilton, Rangers: He's a bit lower than Ramirez and Quentin because the Rangers have a very formidable offense without him. Still, Nelson Cruz is better as part of the supporting cast to Hamilton than as the star. Meanwhile, the Angels are hot on the Rangers' tail. Come mid-July, when Hamilton can hopefully return, they may be fighting an uphill battle they aren't yet equipped to win.

7. Erik Bedard, Mariners: The M's are clinging to the fringe of the AL West race six games out. They can't continue to do so without being able to count on their one-two punch in the rotation in Felix Hernandez and Bedard. The lefty should be OK here in a bit, but if he misses a few turns, the Mariners are likely to fall out of the race and deal him by the deadline.

8. Grady Sizemore, Indians: When he's right, he's one of the best players in baseball. Anyone would miss him, but that's especially so for a team that can't even sniff .500 and was expected to compete for the division.

9. Brett Myers, Phillies: They're surviving without great -- or even good -- starting pitching right now because their offense is so stacked. Still, they'll really need some help for Cole Hamels down the stretch, and we can't be sure Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer or the kids can provide what they need. Perhaps this injury is a blessing in disguise and the Phils land someone like Bedard on the trade market? Time will tell.

10. Ryan Doumit, Pirates -- Think I'm crazy, huh? Every team in the NL Central is flawed. The Pirates are only 5 1/2 games out of first place. The one thing their offense sorely lacks is power. Doumit packs power and his replacements do not. He won't be back until after the All-Star break, and by then, the Pirates will be about 10 games out and ready to start talking about 2010.

Just missed: Carlos Delgado, Brad Lidge, Kyle Lohse

Also considered: Rickie Weeks, Asdrubal Cabrera, Scott Kazmir

Finally, Brandon Webb is just about to return to the Diamondbacks. The impact of his injury on the Diamondbacks' season to this point was likely significant. Moving forward, though, he's almost back and they are pretty much out of the race. Thus, I eliminated him from contention on this list.