What's the latest on injured NY Mets starter David Peterson?
ATLANTA  A day after leaving his start early due to right side soreness, David Peterson stood behind the turtle and observed batting practice at Truist Park. He is with the team, but the Mets don't have much clarity on his situation yet. They do know this: He is not expected to make his next start, which would have been next Monday. It will be tough for him to make his next start," Mets manager Luis Rojas said before Thursday's series finale against the Braves. "We dont think thats going to happen.  Following Wednesday night's loss to Atlanta, Peterson received preliminary testing. However, the Mets decided to test him more thoroughly once they arrive back in New York because they want their own doctors evaluating the left-hander. Rojas said Peterson felt "tight" upon arriving to the ballpark on Thursday. Peterson allowed six runs  five earned  over three innings on Wednesday. He departed in the fourth when he began to feel a "sharp pain" (per Rojas) in his right side. Prior to his most recent start, Peterson had seemingly turned the corner. He's been inconsistent this season but he had a phenomenal three-start stretch before his latest outing. The Mets couldn't afford to lose another starter, but they appear to be operating as if they won't have Peterson for Monday. Rojas said the club hasn't yet discussed who will fill in for that start, but the manager mentioned right-hander Corey Oswalt and left-hander Thomas Szapucki  who allowed six earned runs over 3 2/3 innings in his MLB debut on Wednesday  as options. Those are two names that I can give you right off the top of my head, but its nothing that weve talked about yet," Rojas said. "We just havent gotten to that point." Peterson has a 5.40 ERA this season. He's been up and down. That said, the Mets need him because their pitching depth is already thin. Our preview, predictions  Carlos Carrasco takes next step  Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (hamstring) is throwing full bullpen sessions, Rojas said. Feels good, looks good, stuff is great," Rojas said. Last reporters had heard, Carrasco was throwing light bullpens  throwing off the bottom of the mound. Now he's throwing off the rubber, which is a significant step in his recovery. He is also going through a strength program. Carrasco must continue going through his progression with throwing bullpens before the Mets line him up for rehab starts. There's no exact timeline on when Carrasco could begin his rehab assignment. The DH  The Mets will have three games with the designated hitter when they play the Yankees, an American League team, in the Bronx this weekend. Rojas said the team hasn't decided how it will use the DH spot, but he said many players could be candidates  especially because the team is in a long stretch without an off day. He mentioned Pete Alonso as a candidate. He also said outfielders  like Dominic Smith, Kevin Pillar and Michael Conforto  could get placed in the role. So, too, could outfielder Brandon Nimmo, whom the Mets expect to activate this weekend. 'I don't get anxiety anymore':Here's how Mets' Dominic Smith improved in left field  Two Mets in Futures Game  This week, MLB released the rosters for the All-Star Futures Game, a contest that features many of baseball's top prospects. The NL and AL will face off in a seven-inning game on July 11 at Coors Field. Catcher Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty will represent the Mets in the game. Both participated in big league camp in February. I had a chance to see them play and work with them in our spring training and they were great," Rojas said. "The maturity they showed in camp and the confidence level was really high. That just came because of trusting their abilities. They felt like they belonged in camp. These are two really good players, two very talented players at their young age. Were nothing more than proud that theyre making these rosters and theyre able to show everyone their abilities in that game." Justin Toscano is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app. Email: toscanoj@northjersey.com  Twitter: @justinctoscano