<\/p>\n
New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) heads to the dugout while being pulled by manager Carlos Mendoza during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 15, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Yuki Iwamura\/AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura<\/p>\n
New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 15, 2026, in New York.<\/p>\n
Yuki Iwamura\/AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Clay Holmes’ mind flashed back six years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Struck on the right leg by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of the New York Yankees’ Spencer Jones on Friday night, the right-hander thought to when Nelson Cruz got him with a shot up the middle during a spring training game on Feb. 29, 2020.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
\u201cI was kind of hoping this was different,\u201d the New York Mets pitcher recalled Sunday. \u201cI still felt like I could put a little weight on it, so it kind of gave me some hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holmes pushed himself through five more batters in the fourth inning and two in the fifth, then came out of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I tried to run back out, I knew that it didn\u2019t really feel the same,\u201d he said. \u201cIt continued to get worse the more I threw.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holmes had X-rays Friday night that revealed he broke his right fibula, an injury that likely will keep him sidelined until at least August.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe symptoms are definitely less this time. I don\u2019t know how much that means,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was definitely a little more pain and throbbing last time.\u201d<\/p>\n His right foot was in a boot Sunday and he maneuvered his way through the Mets’ Citi Field clubhouse on a knee scooter.<\/p>\n Jones, an offseason workout partner of Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, reached out to Holmes in a text message.<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciated that,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cI just told him that this is a freak accident, nothing he can do, and I\u2019m excited to see him finally get a chance up here and see what he can do here in the big leagues.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the leg will need six to eight weeks to heal and the 33-year-old will follow with a spring training-type ramp-up, usually about six weeks. Holmes hopes the bone will heal in four to six weeks, with check-up images determining when he gets the go-ahead to resume throwing.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a tough time sitting still. So patience is not a virtue for me \u2014 or not one of my best virtues. There\u2019s creative ways to kind of help move this process along,” he said. \u201cThe shorter time on the front, the less time you need on the back end.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones’ comebacker hit Holmes just above where Cruz’s ball struck and broke his right fibula.<\/p>\n \u201cI kind of knew walking off that I think it was probably broken so I was kind of expecting it. I wasn’t too surprised with the X-rays,” Holmes said. It caught me good.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A two-time All-Star reliever with the Yankees, Holmes left to sign a $38 million, three-year deal with the Mets before the 2025 season, was shifted from the bullpen to the rotation and went 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA. He is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA this year.<\/p>\n Following the coronavirus shutdown in 2020, Holmes returned to the mound for Pittsburgh that July 22 in the Pirates’ spring training finale. He pitched 1 1\/3 innings two days later in the team’s opener, then missed the rest of the season with a strained right forearm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just so weird because I could only go into the facility for rehab like two days a week,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was a lot of different variables, I was a reliever then, so the build up was a little bit differently.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/a>
<\/a><\/p>\n