Holmes returns to big leagues for first time since May in Cubs debut

KANSAS CITY -- Naturally, the first pitch Clay Holmes threw in the Major Leagues in nearly three months resulted in a comebacker. The baseball gods have a dark sense of humor at times, but this wound up being merely a reminder rather than anything alarming on Saturday evening.

Holmes skipped out of the way of the baseball that Kansas City’s Carter Jensen sent up the middle, and Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson was in position to scoop it up and record the out. And with that, Holmes’ career with Chicago -- which swung a deal with the Mets to land the veteran starter at the Trade Deadline -- was off and running.

“I’m sure he’s just excited to be competing in a big league stadium again,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs' 6-3 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. “You add the uniform change on top of that, there’s probably a lot going on. But I think he’s excited to just get out there.”

As Counsell alluded, this was not only Holmes’ debut for the Cubs, but his first Major League outing since May 15 with the Mets. In the fourth outing in that game earlier this year, Holmes had his right fibula fractured by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of Yankees slugger Spencer Jones.

Following the healing process and extended rehab, it was fair to expect some rust from Holmes in his initial outing. He was admittedly a little amped up at the start, which manifested in his sinker being left up in the zone more than desired in the first couple innings. Holmes settled down as the game wore on and was happy to get this new chapter going with Chicago.

“It took a lot of work to get back to this point,” Holmes said. “It definitely felt good to just be back in the big league game. Obviously, that’s not the full goal. You want to get back and help this team win games. I just wasn’t quite sharp enough tonight, but it was a good step.”

The righty showed off his famous groundball rate in four innings -- 11 of the 12 outs he recorded came via grounders -- but he walked two and surrendered four runs on six hits. That included allowing a Statcast-projected 448-foot homer to Jac Caglianone in the first inning.

“The reality of this thing is he has been out three months,” Counsell said. “He hasn’t been in compete mode for a while. That part, we’ve got to quicken it up as much as we can, but it’s probably going to take a little bit of time.”

At the time of Monday’s trade -- one that sent Top 100 prospect Jefferson Rojas to New York for Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor -- the 33-year-old righty was still on a Minor League rehab assignment. Holmes built up to 73 pitches with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday in his third rehab outing and felt he was ready to come off the injured list.

The Cubs activated Holmes ahead of Saturday’s game in Kansas City, where fellow starter Kevin Gausman made his Chicago debut one night earlier after being acquired from the Blue Jays. With Holmes and Gausman added to the big league rotation, plus Taylor added to the bench and Ryan Zeferjahn reeled in to help the bullpen, the North Siders have a fortified roster for the stretch run and playoffs.

Prior to the injury sustained in May, Holmes was off to a strong start this year with the Mets. In his first nine outings, the righty had a 2.39 ERA with 45 strikeouts against 18 walks in 52 2/3 innings. His 1.9 bWAR at that time was just a touch below his overall showing in ‘25 (2.1 bWAR), when Holmes had a 3.53 ERA in 165 2/3 innings.

That ‘25 campaign was Holmes’ first full season as a starting pitcher after spending the first seven years of his career primarily as a reliever. He grew into a two-time All-Star closer for the Yankees between ‘22-24, when Holmes racked up 74 saves combined with a 2.85 ERA in 195 appearances.

Holmes has said he is willing to tackle any role the Cubs have to offer, but the front office acquired the veteran to be part of the rotation. Paired with Chicago’s elite defense (MLB-leading 61 Fielding Run Value), Holmes should be a great fit given his ability to generate weak contact and grounders.

“Every pitcher fits our defense,” Counsell said.

Holmes called it “amazing” to watch the Cubs’ defensive performances around the field on Saturday, adding that he hopes to get them more grounders in the weeks ahead. The first step will be poring over this first start, making the proper adjustments and getting that bread-and-butter pitch fully operational again.

“I’m really close to being myself,” Holmes said. “It’s easy adjustments -- nothing too major. It’s just settling in and trusting the sinker. The rest of the arsenal plays off that. As long as that’s in a good spot, we’ll find our way.”