🍎 Will Mets Fade? Not If Their Aces Step Up

As New York’s injuries mount, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom must take over. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with guest columnist Deesha Thosar: The Mets survived first-half injuries to Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, now it’s time for the two aces to do some heavy lifting ... we look at preseason storylines in the ACC, including the question of whether Dabo Swinney can get Clemson back on top ... and more! Just over two months into this year’s Major League Baseball season, the Mets had lost both of their aces to injuries. The rotation was built to be dominant, but it was built around the premise that Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom would provide a 1-2 punch that no other team could match. A cloud of uncertainty hovered. Even as Mets manager Buck Showalter asserted that "the sky’s not falling," how would New York survive seven-plus weeks without its top arms? Right away, right-hander Taijuan Walker, left-hander David Peterson and veteran Carlos Carrasco erased that uncertainty. From May 19 to July 4 — the seven weeks Scherzer was on the injured list due to an oblique strain and deGrom was still sidelined due to a stress reaction — Mets starters produced a 3.47 ERA, fourth-best in MLB. Even without their co-aces, the Mets built their National League East lead and kept rolling. Walker in particular stepped up while Scherzer and deGrom were down. He took the mound every fifth day, recording a 2.56 ERA across nine starts and 55.2 innings. That workload trailed only those of NL starters Sandy Alcantara, Aaron Nola and Adam Wainwright during that stretch. Walker posted a first half worthy of an All-Star nod, and the Mets wouldn’t be leading the NL East by 3.5 games were it not for steady performances from the back end of the rotation. But now the script has flipped. Carrasco is sidelined due to an oblique strain and expected to be out for another month or more. Walker left his start Tuesday in Atlanta after just two innings once his back "locked up." He was diagnosed with back spasms, and it was immediately unclear whether he would be healthy enough to make his next start. As unfortunate as losing two consistent starters is for Showalter and the Mets, the club is decently equipped to handle this adversity. Their immediate pitching depth includes southpaw Peterson, who is likely to fill in for one of Carrasco or Walker, and right-hander Trevor Williams, the staff’s Swiss Army knife who has made eight starts and 14 relief appearances and is expected to slide back into the rotation. The pitching depth helps, but the path through this injury bug goes back to the blueprint the Mets designed in the offseason. Walker, Carrasco and others stepped up in the first half. Their injuries, to some degree, might be the result of the workload and pressure that were dialed up while the aces were out. The responsibility to get out of this injury mess and maintain the lead in the division now rests on the Mets’ formidable 1-2 punch that has already begun vexing opposing lineups. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Can Dabo Swinney lead Clemson back to the top of the ACC? [RJ Young reveals his top ACC storylines ahead of the season](. - With Deshaun Watson suspended for 11 games, the Cleveland Browns have to figure out what to do with their quarterback position. [Eric D. Williams looks at their options](. - Is Houston Astros star Alex Bregman returning to MVP form?[Jordan Shusterman examines just how good the slugger is](. For the latest news and updates, [click here](. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Friday: Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots (NFLN, 7 p.m. ET) These teams were brawling earlier this week, now they meet in NFL preseason action. Friday: Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams (NFLN, 10 p.m. ET) The defending champs host the Texans at SoFi Stadium. Saturday: Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves (FOX, 7:15 p.m. ET) It’s a rematch of last year’s World Series as Houston heads to Atlanta. Sunday: Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) An intriguing preseason matchup between teams that should be contenders in the upcoming season. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Adley Rutschman wins AL Rookie of the Year: +500 FOX Sports MLB Betting Analyst Edward Egros: Earlier this month, Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman was +4500 to win the award. He has since closed in to where he is now +500 on FOX Bet. Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez remains the favorite at -500, but could this gap narrow even more before the end of the season? And should you invest in Rutschman now or wait for Rodriguez to expect a bigger payout? You may be wondering why Rutschman is even in this conversation. After all, he’s played 32 fewer games than Rodriguez. That’s where FanGraphs WAR comes in. It’s a cumulative statistic that does reward increased playing time; however, if a player is performing at an elite level, that will outweigh the lack of games. In this comparison, Rodriguez has a narrow lead over Rutschman (3.1 vs 3.0) among all AL rookies. Even with the lack of playing time, Rutschman has almost more than made up for it. It’s important to note – assuming both players finish the season – that 32-game gap between Rodriguez and Rutschman will not seem very significant. Rutschman’s plate discipline and ability to get on base are such major advantages that he could also be the better slugger by season’s end. If you haven’t bet on Rutschman to win Rookie of the Year, now is the time to do so. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2022 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900