Clay Holmes is out after suffering a fractured fibula when a 111 mph line drive from Spencer Jones struck him in the fourth inning against the Yankees.
A hard line drive turned a tense Mets-Yankees game into a serious injury setback when New York starter Clay Holmes was struck and immediately became a question mark for the near future.
After Friday’s loss to the Yankees, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Holmes suffered a fractured fibula. “He’s going to be down for a long time,” Mendoza told reporters.
Holmes, 33, had been one of the few bright spots on a Mets rotation that’s struggled to find consistency this season. He entered Friday’s start with a 1.86 ERA across eight outings and 37 strikeouts, a level of production that stood out in what has already been a troubled campaign.
The injury occurred when Holmes was hit by a 111 m.p.h. line drive from Yankees rookie Spencer Jones to lead off the fourth inning. Holmes stayed in the game long enough to face six more batters, then was lifted after recording one out in the top of the fifth.
Jones said he only learned about Holmes’ injury after the game. “That’s the first I’ve heard of that. I’m sorry,” Jones said. “He’s a friend of mine, we work out in Nashville together. That’s tough to hear.”
Holmes’ absence adds to an already crowded injury list in Queens.. He joins shortstop Francisco Lindor. who has a strained left calf; catcher Francisco Alvarez. dealing with a torn meniscus; outfielder Luis Robert. out with a spine disc herniation; and first baseman Jorge Polanco. who is managing an Achilles and wrist injury.
With the Mets now sitting at 18-26 and 7.5 games out of a wild-card spot in the National League, the Holmes injury is another blow at a moment when New York’s margin for error has been shrinking.
Mets Clay Holmes fractured fibula Spencer Jones Yankees Francisco Lindor Francisco Alvarez Luis Robert Jorge Polanco MLB injuries