Mets Place Clay Holmes On Injured List In Latest Blow

The nightmare start of the 2026 season became even more frightening.

Right-handed starter Clay Holmes was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday by the New York Mets with a fractured right fibula. Right-handed reliever Joey Gerber was promoted from Triple-A Syracuse.

The Mets entered play Saturday with one of MLB's worst records at 18-26 despite having one of the highest payrolls in the game.

Holmes was injured in Friday's opener of the Subway Series against the New York Yankees at Citi Field when rookie Spencer Jones drilled the right-hander with a 111.1 mph comebacker off his right leg. Holmes made his way toward first base in an attempt to cover the bag after the ball ricocheted off the bottom of his right leg and into foul territory, but there was no play to be made. Holmes remained in the game for a brief period before being taken out.

Holmes is expected to miss a significant amount of time, perhaps not returning until after the All-Star break at the earliest. Holmes is the seventh Mets pitcher to go on the IL this season, including fellow starters Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill. Four of those pitchers are on the 60-day IL.

Holmes was converted into a starter last year in his first season with the Mets after a career as a very good reliever with the Yankees. He took to his new role very well, posting a 3.53 ERA in 165⅔ innings, with a 9.3% walk rate and 18.2% strikeout rate, both just a bit below the MLB average(8.5%, 22.6%). He was off to a very fine start this year with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts and 52⅔ innings, registering an 8.4% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate.

Gerber came up for one appearance in early April before going on the 15-day IL with a blister on his pitching hand. He had been on a rehab assignment with Syracuse before being activated off the IL last week and optioned to Triple-A. At Syracuse this year, Gerber pitched 11 innings over 10 relief appearances with a 7.36 ERA.

The Mets will have to find a rotation replacement for Holmes when his turn comes around next.