Full name is Clayton Walter Holmes...Attended Slocomb High School (Ala.)…helped lead the baseball team to a runner-up finish in the Class 3A playoffs as a senior in 2011…went 11-5 for Slocomb as a junior while also recording 126 strikeouts…carried a 4.0 grade point average and was Slocomb’s class valedictorian while also being recognized by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association as its Student Athlete-of-the-Year in 2011...Spent three years playing on Slocomb’s varsity basketball team, where he averaged a double-double in both his junior and senior seasons...Had committed to play baseball at Auburn University before signing with the Pirates....Was signed by Pirates scout Darren Mazeroski, the son of Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski.
2021
Combined with the Pirates and Yankees to go 8-4with a 3.60 ERA (70.0IP, 53H, 32R/28ER, 29BB, 78K, 5HR) in 69 relief appearances…opponents batted .206 (53-for-257, 5HR); LH .272 (22-for-81, 3HR); RH .176 (31-for-176, 2HR)...Went 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA (28.0IP, 18H, 8R/5ER, 4BB, 34K, 2HR) in 25 relief appearances with the Yankees…his 1.61 ERA was the ninth-lowest among AL pitchers (min. 20G) since he made his Yankees debut on 7/29...Held right-handed batters to a .176/.249/.222 (31-for-176) slash line…his .176 opponent’s BA vs. right-handed batters was the seventh-lowest in the Majors (min. 180 batters faced)...According to FanGraphs, was second among all Major League pitchers with a 68.7 groundball percentage, trailing only Houston’s Framber Valdez’s 70.3 groundball percentage (min. 60.0IP)....Did not allow a run in 50 of 69 appearances, including 18 of 25 with the Yankees…was scoreless in 11 of his 13 outings of at least 1.1 innings...Began the season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA (42.0IP, 35H, 24R/23ER, 25BB, 44K, 3HR) in 4...relief appearances....Made his season debut on Opening Day at Chicago-NL, tossing a scoreless fifth inning (1.0IP, 1K)....Recorded his first win of the season on 4/25 at Minnesota, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings (1BB, 1K)…marked his first win since 7/2/19 vs. Chicago-NL...Tossed 2.0 scoreless innings and collected a season-high-tying 4K on 4/28 vs. Kansas City (2.0IP, 2H, 4K)...Posted a career-high 13.0 scoreless inning streak from 5/3-6/9 (13.0IP, 11H, 5BB, 11K)...Struck out Javier Báez swinging in the ninth on 5/26 vs. Chicago-NL to record his 100th career strikeout....Surrendered just 1BB to his 93BF in 23 games from 7/23-9/26....Allowed just 4BB over his final 27 appearances from 7/23-10/3 (29.2IP, 108BF)…his 0.74 WHIP was the fifth-lowest and his 1.21 BB/9 ratio was the ninth-lowest in the Majors over that span (min. 25.0IP)...Was acquired by the Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for INF Diego Castillo and INF Hoy Park on 7/26...Recorded at least 1K in 21 of his 25 appearances with the Yankees....His five wins from his Yankees debut on 7/29 to the end of the season were the third-most on the team, trailing only Gerrit Cole (6) and Chad Green (6)...In his Yankees debut on 7/29 at Tampa Bay, tossed a perfect eighth inning in relief (1K)...Was placed on the COVID-19 injured list on 8/11…missed 11 team games…was reinstated on 8/23...Struck out all four batters he faced in relief on 9/4 vs. Baltimore (1.1IP), tying his season high (also 4K on 4/28 vs. Kansas City with Pittsburgh) and matching the second-highest total in a single game in his career, trailing only his 6K on 7/14/18 vs. Milwaukee with Pittsburgh…entered the game with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth, stranding all three runners...Blew the save in the ninth on 9/16 at Baltimore after the game-tying run scored on a passed ball (2.0IP, 1H, 1R/0ER, 2K, 1WP)…marked his fourth appearance of at least 2.0 innings in 2021 and first since 5/16 vs. San Francisco with Pittsburgh...Earned his eighth win of the season after tossing a scoreless 10th inning on 9/13 vs. Minnesota (1.0IP, 1K)...Made his postseason debut in the AL Wild Card Game at Boston, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief (1H, 1K)…entered with two men on and no outs in the third and did not allow an inherited runner to score.
2020
Suffered a fractured right fibula in a spring training game on 2/29 (hit on the leg by a comebacker off the bat of Nelson Cruz)…Was a member of the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career...Made his lone appearance on Opening Day (7/24) and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings at St. Louis...Was placed on the 10-day injured list on 7/28 (retro to 7/25) with a right elbow sprain...Was transferred to the 45-day I.L. on 8/12...Was reinstated on 11/1...Was non-tendered a contract on 12/2...Was signed to a minor league deal on 12/4.
2019
Was used exclusively as a relief pitcher for the first time in his eight-year career...Began season with Triple-A Indianapolis...Recorded his first professional save on 4/27 at Charlotte (2.0ip/0r)…Was recalled on 5/9; gave up three runs (two earned) in 2.0ip at St. Louis in Bucco debut that night...Also pitched 2.0 innings and gave up one run on 5/13 at Arizona before being optioned back to Indianapolis on 5/15 (did not pitch in another Triple-A game)…Was recalled a second time on 5/17 when Trevor Williams went on the injured list...Pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief on 5/22 vs. Colorado; also grounded out as a batter...Gave up two runs in 2.2 innings on 5/29 at Cincinnati...Made three straight appearances without allowing a runner between 6/27 and 7/2...Picked up his second career big league win on 7/2 vs. Chicago...Gave up three hits, three walks and a grand slam to Paul Goldschmidt while suffering the loss on 7/22 vs. St. Louis...Was placed on 10-day injured list on 7/24 with right triceps inflammation...Made rehab appearance with Double-A Altoona on 8/5 (2.0ip/3er) and picked up the win in relief vs. Richmond...Also tossed 2.0 scoreless innings in his second rehab game on 8/8 vs. Richmond...Was recalled from rehab and reinstated from the I.L. on 8/11...Pitched a career-high 3.2 innings of relief (64 pitches) on 8/20 vs. Washington...Was placed on the 10-day injured list on 8/21 with left quadriceps discomfort...Was reinstated on 9/1...Did not allow an earned run in his last five games with the Pirates (4.1ip) and posted a 3.93 ERA (18.1ip/8er) in his final 13 big league games, dating back to 8/11...Held right-handed hitters to a .209 (24-for-115) batting average.
2018
Spent majority of season with Triple-A Indianapolis...Ranked third among Pittsburgh minor leaguers in ERA (3.29)...Also had seven separate stints with the Pirates...Was recalled a first time by Pittsburgh on 4/1 to be the 26th man for a doubleheader in Detroit; did not pitch and was optioned back to Indianapolis following the game...Was recalled again on 4/2 to replace Joe Musgrove (D.L.) on the active roster...Made his Major League debut on 4/6 vs. Cincinnati; gave up one run in 2.0 innings of relief and struck out in his first big league at bat...Was optioned to Indy on 4/13...Was credited with his lone complete game in a rain-shortened outing (5.0ip) on 5/6 vs. Gwinnett... Went 4-0 with a 0.71 ERA (25.1ip/2er) in four Triple-A starts during the month of June; his ERA in June was the lowest among all Triple-A pitchers...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 6/24 and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings that day vs. Arizona...Made his first Major League start on 7/4 at Los Angeles - just the third Pittsburgh pitcher since 1913 to make his first big league start on Independence Day (also Harry Fisher at Cincinnati in 1952 and Bruce Kison at Chicago in 1971)...Surrendered five hits, three walks and four runs in 2.1ip and suffered first big league loss on 7/4...Was optioned to High-A Bradenton on 7/6 since Indianapolis was on the All-Star break...Allowed one run on four hits, with no walks and eight strikeouts in 6.0ip on 7/9 vs. Lakeland...Was transferred back to Indianapolis on 7/10...Was recalled as the 26th man for the doubleheader on 7/14 vs. Milwaukee; started Game Two and recorded his first Major League win (6.0ip/1er)...Was optioned back to Triple-A on 7/15...Was recalled on 8/10 and started that night at San Francisco; gave up eight hits and seven runs in 2.2ip while suffering the loss...Was optioned to Indy on 8/11...Was recalled a sixth time on 8/21...Entered game on 8/24 at Milwaukee with a 6-4 lead in the 15th inning; walked three batters, gave up two hits and surrendered three runs while suffering the walk-off loss...Was optioned to Indianapolis on 8/25...Went 6-0 with a 2.15 ERA (54.1ip/13er) in his final 13 Triple-A games, dating back to 6/2...Posted a 7-3 record and a 3.19 ERA (87.1ip/31er) in his 16 starts with Indianapolis and went 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA (8.0ip/5er) in six relief appearances; made his his last five outings in relief...Was recalled a final time by Pittsburgh on 9/4; had a 4.15 ERA (8.2ip/4er) in four games in September...Started the final game of the season on 9/30 at Cincinnati (4.0ip/3r/2er)...Went 1-2 with a 7.80 ERA (15.0ip/13er) in his four big league starts and 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA (11.1ip/7er) in seven relief appearances... Produced a 1.29 ERA (14.0ip/2er) at PNC Park and a 13.14 ERA (12.1ip/18er) on the road.
2017
Spent entire season with Triple-A Indianapolis... Was tied for first in wins among all pitchers in Pittsburgh's minor league system...Allowed two runs or less in 18 of his 24 starts... Surrendered just one home run in his first 12 starts thru 6/10 and a total of four the entire season...Made his lone relief appearance (second career) on 5/30 vs. Lehigh Valley (1.0ip/0r)...Posted a 3-0 record and a 2.97 ERA (30.1ip/10er) in six appearances during the month of May...Had a 1.89 ERA (19.0ip/4er) and held opposing batters to a .186 average in four starts in July...Finished the regular season winning each of his last three decisions... Surrendered a season-high six runs in his playoff starts on 9/6 at Durham (4.0ip/7h/6r/6er/4bb/3so).
2016
Entered season ranked by MLB.com as Pittsburgh's 15th-best prospect (was ranked 19th by Baseball America) ...Spent entire season with Double-A Altoona and established career highs in innings pitched, strikeouts and wins...Finished tied for fifth among all Pirates minor leaguers in wins and tied for fourth in starts...Also tied for fifth in the Eastern League in wins and fifth in walks; led the league in hit by pitches ...Posted the highest ground ball to at bat ratio (2.94) in all of full season baseball and second-highest in all of baseball behind Anthony Castro of the short-season GCL Tigers West (3.29 ground ball/at bat ratio)...Was charged with six runs in 4.0 innings while suffering the loss in his Double-A debut on 4/8 vs. Harrisburg; also went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his first career game at the plate...Doubled at Harrisburg on 4/19 for first career hit...Earned first win after allowing one run over 6.0 innings on 4/24 vs. Richmond ...Allowed a season-high seven runs (six earned runs) in loss on 4/30 at Akron...Won seven straight decisions from 5/5 to 7/7...Tossed a career-high 7.0 innings while allowing three runs on three solo homers in win on 5/28 at Bowie...Allowed seven runs in 4.1 innings but came away with a no-decision on 6/11 at Reading...Struck out a season-high tying nine batters over 6.0 scoreless innings in a no-decision on 6/16 vs. New Hampshire...Matched season high with nine strikeouts while tossing 7.0 innings in win on 7/2 vs. Bowie...Won his seventh straight decision on 7/7 at Akron after being charged with two runs in 6.0 innings...Went 5-5 with a 3.03 ERA (74.1ip/25er) in final 14 starts from 6/16 to 9/2...Started Game Two of the Eastern League Division Series on 9/8 vs. Akron and recorded the club's only win of the postseason after allowing one run on four hits in 5.2 innings of work...Went 1-for-20 with a double at the plate.
2015
Went 1-2 with a 2.48 ERA (36.1ip/10er) and 26 strikeouts in nine combined starts between the GCL Pirates and High-A Bradenton...Began season on the disabled list recovering from "Tommy John" surgery from 2014...Began a rehab assignment with the GCL Pirates on 6/23...Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings while earning the win in final rehab appearance with the GCL Pirates on 7/4...Was reinstated from the disabled list on 7/7 and assigned to Bradenton...Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings while coming away with a no-decision in his debut with the Marauders on 7/10 at Daytona...Made final start on 8/15 before being placed on the D.L. on 8/26 with right shoulder tendinitis.
2014
Missed the entire season recovering from "Tommy John" surgery performed on 3/19.
2013
Entered the season ranked as Pittsburgh's 10th-best prospect by Baseball America...Spent entire season with Single-A West Virginia...Went 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA (59.0ip/21er) in the second half of the season after going 2-5 with a 4.95 ERA (60.0ip/33er) in the first half...Earned first win with 5.1 scoreless innings of work on 4/15 at Greenville...Made 11 appearances (10 starts) from 6/12 to 8/10 without being charged with a loss... Worked 5.0 scoreless innings and earned the win in his only career relief appearance on 7/10 at Kannapolis...Struck out a career-high 10 batters on 7/25 at Lexington.
2012
Spent first professional season with State College of the New York-Penn League...Allowed an earned run in just one of his first seven starts while producing a 0.80 ERA (33.2ip/3er)...Gave up three hits over 5.0 scoreless innings while earning the win in his professional debut on 6/22 vs. Mahoning Valley...Allowed four runs (three earned) on 7/2 vs. Batavia before not allowing a run in his next four starts (20.0ip) from 7/8-25...Went 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA (23.2ip/3er) in five starts during the month of July.
