The Mets will be missing right-hander Clay Holmes for a significant chunk of the season, but he could return sometime after the All-Star break. The veteran starter fractured his right fibula on Friday against the Yankees. Holmes told reporters, including Chelsea Janes of SNY, that surgery hasn’t been ruled out, but doesn’t appear to be necessary.
Manager Carlos Mendoza was equally optimistic about the outlook for Holmes. “Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said, relayed by ESPN. The skipper added that Holmes is expected to need six to eight weeks to heal, plus an additional ramp-up period similar to Spring Training, which would be another month and a half or so. That schedule would get Holmes back into the Mets’ rotation sometime in August.
Holmes was struck by a 111 mph line drive off the bat of outfielder Spencer Jones in the fourth inning of the first game in the Subway Series. He somehow stayed in, wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam later in the frame. Holmes was removed after walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. with one out in the fifth inning.
The Holmes injury was the latest in a laundry list of health concerns for the Mets. The pitching staff is already missing right-hander Kodai Senga and reliever A.J. Minter. On the hitting side, shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and first baseman Jorge Polanco remain out. Catcher Francisco Alvarez tore the meniscus in his right knee earlier this week.
The Mets dropped the first game against the Yankees, but rallied to win the next two, including a wild walk-off win on Sunday. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor blasted a two-out, three-run home run off closer David Bednar to send the game into extra innings. Rookie Carson Benge finished off the comeback by driving in the game-winning run in the 10th inning. The Mets went 5-1 this week, improving their record to 20-26. It’s been exactly a month since they’ve been this close to .500.
New York hasn’t come up with a Holmes replacement yet. The corresponding move when the righty hit the IL was the promotion of reliever Joey Gerber. Current bullpen pieces Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea are candidates to step into the rotation. Manaea has continued to struggle after spiraling down the stretch in 2025, but Myers has been solid. The club’s competitiveness might determine the long-term solution. If the Mets can move closer to contention, the front office might consider a trade to supplement the rotation while Holmes is recovering. If the team can’t get back into the Wild Card mix, the internal options will have to do.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images