In the fourth inning of the Subway Series opener at Citi Field, New York Yankees rookie Spencer Jones lined a 111.1 mph comebacker at New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes’ right leg. In the moment, Holmes didn't show any signs of distress.

However, it was later revealed that the hit fractured his right fibula, and manager Carlos Mendoza said Holmes will be out "for a long time" for recovery. Even so, Holmes stayed in the game, finished the inning, got another out in the fifth, and walked off only after throwing 95 pitches.

It shocked many in the dugout, including Mendoza, but not the Yankees' manager, Aaron Boone. In a post-game interview after the Yankees' 5-2 win, he said:

"Yeah, he's a dog. He's a gamer... he's physically tough, but he's tough between the ears, too. I could tell he was hurt, and he's not a guy that’s showing it a lot or trying not to show it, but you could tell it got him good. Even watching him move off the mound when he was walking off, I know it didn’t look that great."

Boone has managed Holmes from 2021 to 2024 in the Bronx, and the now-Mets pitcher has long had that kind of reputation. For the Yankees, he was a hard-nosed reliever who made 220 appearances and totaled 74 saves in just three seasons. In 2024 alone, Holmes appeared in 67 games and recorded 30 saves.

Last season, the Mets converted him to a full-time starter. These transformations are never easy, but Holmes started 31 games and pitched 165.2 innings with a solid 3.53 ERA.

And before this injury, Clay Holmes was unarguably the best pitcher on the team this season. He entered the night with the team's best 1.86 ERA. Plus, he had completed at least five innings and allowed two or fewer earned runs in his first eight starts.

"It's a huge blow," Mendoza said about losing Holmes from the rotation. "He's been one of our most consistent guys that we have in our rotation."

The Mets' clubhouse reacted to Clay Holmes' toughness

Juan Soto shared the same clubhouse with Clay Holmes on the Yankees in 2024 before both joined the Mets in the 2025 season.

"We all know how tough he is," Soto said of Holmes. "He’s not going to come out that easy. When I saw him coming out of the game in the next inning is when I was thinking something was wrong.”

It is currently unclear exactly how long Holmes will miss, and he is expected to be sidelined indefinitely. Rotation-mate David Peterson, who will now have a larger role in Holmes' absence, said:

"It s****. You never want to see someone go through something like that. To know that we’re going to be without him for a while, it’s tough. He’s pitched his a** off this year, and he’s been one of, if not our best player of the entire season. You feel for him, first off, not being able to be on the field. And then obviously the impact on the team."

And in Clay Holmes' absences now, the Mets have to patch the rotation again. The most obvious replacement is Jack Wenninger, the top Triple-A arm who has looked sharp for Syracuse, though his high walk rate shows he is still learning. Jonah Tong is another option, but he has also struggled.

There is no perfect fix here, so it will be worth watching how the Mets can hold things together until Holmes can come back.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Yask Kotak