It was a line drive off the bat of Yankees prospect Spencer Jones that caused Mets starter Clay Holmes to suffer a fractured fibula on Friday night.
Jones went down and lined a 2-2 sinker below the zone back up the middle, where the ball ricocheted off of Holmes’ leg and into foul territory. The ball was hit at 111.1 mph.
“I didn’t know that. That’s the first I heard of that,” Jones said after the game when told of Holmes’ injury. “I’m sorry. He’s a friend of mine, we work in Nashville together. It’s tough to hear.”
The news of Holmes’ injury came as a shock to most. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza delivered the news in his postgame presser after the team’s 5-2 loss in the Subway Series opener. But more astoundingly, Holmes continued to pitch after the linedrive. Jones’ single led off the fourth and Holmes escaped the inning after the Yankees loaded the bases. He then began the fifth and was taken out after Jazz Chisholm Jr. worked a one-out walk and Holmes was at 95 pitches.
“He’s a tough guy. Workhorse competitor as well,” Jones said of Holmes continuing to pitch through the injury. “Says a lot about who he is to go back out there again the next inning with a broken leg. It’s incredible.”
“He’s a dog. He’s a gamer. He’s physically tough, but he’s tough between the ears, too,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Holmes. “Not surprised. I could tell he was hurting and he’s not a guy that’s showing, but you could tell it got him good, but watching him move off the mound, I knew it didn’t look that great.”
Holmes has been the Mets’ best pitcher this season.
Entering Friday’s game, Holmes was pitching to a 1.86 ERA and a 1.014 WHIP through eight starts. Prior to tonight, Holmes had surrendered two or fewer earned runs in each of his last 10 starts dating
back to September 2025. It was also the first time this season he had
failed to complete at least five innings this season.
Of course, prior to arriving with the Mets, Holmes spent parts of four seasons with the Yankees and Boone as their closer. So the Yankees skipper knows Holmes very well.
“He’s obviously having a great start to the season for them,” Boone said. “Has really made a successful transition to being a starter. That sucks. I hate to hear that. Hopefully…he’s able to get back at some point because he’s obviously doing a great job for them.”
Clay Holmes got hit by this comebacker off the bat of Spencer Jones in the fourth inning.
Holmes stayed in the game and pitched into the fifth https://t.co/9itrCjJSGcpic.twitter.com/TwCfIUgz4W
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 16, 2026