The Mets are losing Clay Holmes for a significant stretch after the right-hander fractured his fibula in Friday night’s loss to the Yankees.
Spencer Jones’ line drive deflected off Holmes’ leg in the fourth inning, creating an immediate concern about how long New York’s rotation will be without one of its key pieces.
But there’s some encouraging news here. Holmes told Chelsea Janes of SNY that surgery might not be necessary.
“I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Holmes said about the possibility of surgery on his fibula.
That’s huge for both Holmes and the Mets’ playoff hopes.
Manager Carlos Mendoza sounds confident they’ll get their two-time All-Star back before October. “Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza told reporters, according to ESPN.
The timeline isn’t exactly friendly though. Holmes needs six to eight weeks for the fracture to heal, then another few weeks to get properly stretched out again. That puts his return somewhere in the late August or early September range if everything goes smoothly.
For a Mets team that’s been leaning heavily on Holmes as a rotation anchor, this creates some immediate pressure. They’ll need other starters to step up while he’s away, and it certainly changes their calculus heading toward the trade deadline.
If New York stays in contention through the summer, getting Holmes back for a potential playoff push becomes that much more valuable. The fact that he’s avoiding surgery keeps that possibility very much alive.
