Manager David Bell said after Wednesday's 1-0 win over the White Sox that Votto fractured his left thumb during the game, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He's expected to be sidelined for around a month with the injury.

EDGE Analysis

Bell noted that Votto won't need surgery on his thumb, but the injury is still a major blow for the Reds. The veteran first baseman enjoyed a resurgent start to the campaign with a .779 OPS through his first 15 contests, but he had fallen into a slump over his subsequent 13 games (.666 OPS, 30.8 percent strikeout rate) before fracturing the thumb when he was hit by a pitch in a fourth-inning plate appearance Wednesday. Given his downward-trending production in addition to the fact that he'll now be sidelined for multiple weeks, Votto looks like a reasonable drop in shallower mixed leagues.