Braves Superstar Acuna Out For the Season

Ronald Acuna Jr. tried to make a fantastic leaping catch of a tracer hit by speedy Marlins infield Jazz Chisholm. When the Braves star landed, he awkwardly went down in pain, and Chisholm got an inside-the-park home run. Sadly, Acuna is now out for the season with a torn ACL, and with the Braves trailing the Mets by four games currently with a .500 record.

I can see Atlanta being the frontrunner for outfielder Kris Bryant. It makes sense, and it’s their best chance to try and catch the Mets in the second half of the season. With the Cubs season being all but over, Bryant will soon be on the move, and with that, expect the Braves to make a big offer to try and save their 2021 season. Every team needs a power-hitting outfielder like Bryant but think about what the Braves will be like without Acuna long-term. With no moves, they will surely fall out of the race. When the Braves front office meets about this very subject, Bryant will be brought up, and maybe Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers who has a little bit of runway left on his contract before he becomes a free agent. Gallo has 24 home runs, more than Bryant’s 16.

With the loss of Marcell Ozuna, he has a felony domestic violence case ongoing, the Braves need help. Ozuna is rehabbing two fingers, and nobody has any sympathy about that,, but he is out on bond and could travel. Ozuna could end up back in the Braves lineup at some point.

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Taijuan Walker is an All-Star

When the Mets signed Taijuan Walker in the offseason, there was an element of risk to the deal. His best season was when he was 11-8 with the Seattle Mariners back in 2015. Those 169 innings were the most he’s ever thrown.

Walker had Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2018. This past offseason only one team contacted Walker about employment and that was the Mets. The 6-4 hurlers velocity has been terrific. His four-seam fastball clocks in at an average of 94.4 the second-highest of his career. You can thank Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner for that. He has more than a few Mets pitchers throwing better four-seam fastballs with a late break that gives batters fits.

When Mets ace Jacob deGrom declared himself out of the All-Star game, he said his teammate Walker should go in his place. His 7-3 record and stellar 2.50 ERA, and 1.033 WHIP made him a smart choice.

When Walker toes the mound in Colorado, it will be the first time he’s been selected to the mid-summer classic and probably not the last. The Mets have Walker signed for another year and then a player option after that.

If the Mets hold on to their lead in the NL East and make the playoffs, Walker will be a big reason why. He has solidified the #3 spot in the rotation, and that’s something a lot of teams look for especially when they are battling down the stretch.