NEW YORK – Mets right-hander Clay Holmes was hoping to pitch in a big league game on Sunday against the Marlins. It would have been his first since May 15, when he suffered a fractured right fibula against the Yankees. Instead, Holmes will have a rehab start for High-A Brooklyn and throw between 70-75 pitches.
“Obviously, there are a lot of factors that go into it now, but I’m more than ready to pitch in the big leagues,” Holmes said. “You want to get back. It’s the final box to check.”
The question is, will Holmes pitch in a big league game for the Mets or somewhere else? His name has been mentioned in trade talks and he could be dealt before Monday’s MLB Trade Deadline, which is at 6 p.m. ET. Holmes sounded like a guy whose time in a Mets uniform is almost over. The Mets’ front office has kept him abreast on what his future may look like.
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“There are no guarantees in this sport, obviously with the situation that we are in,” Holmes said. “It’s pretty likely [I’ll be traded]. It’s really a wait and see. We’ll see what the next few days hold.
“There has been really good communication [with the team]. I think myself and a lot of players appreciate that. … This time of year, there are a lot of things said. You don’t know what’s true and what’s not sometimes. … Things have been comforting to a degree. It helps you not to check and see what’s out there.”
Before suffering his leg injury, Holmes was one of New York’s most consistent pitchers. In nine starts, he was 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA. His bWAR of 2.0 ranks fifth on the team.
Holmes can be a free agent after 2026 if he doesn't exercise his player option for 2027. There haven’t been any talks with the Mets about a contract extension. Would he consider returning to the Mets?
“My feelings still haven’t changed about the Mets. Whatever happens here, I still feel the same way,” he said. “There is a level of uncertainty … where it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen at the end of the year. My feelings haven’t changed throughout this whole process.”