Clay Holmes making transition to Mets starting role look seamless
Share and Follow

PORT ST. LUCIE — Through two outings, Clay Holmes’ transition from closer to starter has been nearly flawless.

In the Mets’ 5-0 Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Thursday, he pitched three innings and conceded no runs, yielding just one hit and one walk while recording two strikeouts.

He increased his workload, throwing 42 pitches compared to 34 in his first start as he continues to build up his endurance.

He threw 17-18 more pitches in the bullpen afterward.

Holmes has pitched six innings and given up just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in two starts this spring.

Reflecting on his performance, Holmes expressed his satisfaction by stating, “I feel like I was in a great spot to keep pitching. Even after I finished there, I feel a lot better than I did last time when I finished in the bullpen. I can see that I continue to adjust to the workload. I really feel like things are trending in the right direction.”

Thursday’s showing marked a significant step in that process, as well.

His 42 pitches included 20 in the first inning as he worked around a Christian Walker double that really was just a bloop to right field.

As a closer, Holmes rarely came back out after innings in which he threw a lot of pitches.

As a starter, that will be required.

And Holmes fared well after the heavy first inning, recording a 1-2-3 second inning and retiring six of the next seven Astros batters.

During his third inning, he hit a speed of 95 mph, although he admitted that he is still learning when to ease off on the velocity to conserve his energy for later stages of the game.

“It’s a very game-like situation, where I have a long first inning, throw [20] pitches and you got 60 pitches to get five or six innings,” Holmes said. “And just feeling that on your body, it’s new. Feeling that taxing inning and then having to do it time and time again, it’s definitely good to experience.”


Brandon Sproat, the Mets’ top pitching prospect, will start Friday’s game against the Nationals.

It’ll be his first outing this spring.


The Mets signed José Ureña as a non-roster invite for potential rotation depth, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.

Ureña was with the Rangers last year and recorded a 3.80 ERA.

He spent the first six years of his career with the Marlins before stints with the Tigers, Brewers, Rockies and White Sox. He had largely been a starter previously, though was used more as a reliever last year.


Griffin Canning, an option to earn a spot in the rotation due to Sean Manaea’s and Frankie Montas’ injuries, made his first outing of the spring and tossed 1 ²/₃ scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Brett Baty hit his second home run of the spring Thursday and is 6-for-11 at the plate.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Live updates: Senate has enough Democratic votes to end government shutdown; Trump attends Commanders game

Breaking: Senate Secures Democratic Votes to Halt Government Shutdown as Trump Makes Surprise Commanders Game Appearance

Following a prolonged 40-day government shutdown, the Senate has garnered sufficient Democratic…
Martha Moxley's friends slam RFK Jr 50 years after she was murdered

Friends of Martha Moxley Criticize RFK Jr. on 50th Anniversary of Her Tragic Death

Today, Christine Watson finds herself guarding the memories of her childhood friend,…
Chicago shooting: 2 men shot, killed during jewelry store armed robbery on West 26th Street in Little Village, police say

Tragic Double Homicide in Little Village: Jewelry Store Heist Claims Lives of Faustino and Luis Alamo

CHICAGO (WLS) — Authorities have released the identities of the two individuals…
Zohran Mamdani's first staff picks show he's going full speed ahead... to disaster

Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Staff Choices: Visionary Leadership or Risky Gamble?

Don’t hold your breath expecting Dean Fuleihan, the designated First Deputy Mayor,…
Three DC homicides in six hours test Trump’s claim of safer Washington

Three Homicides in Six Hours Challenge Trump’s Assertions of a Safer Washington

On Saturday night, Washington, D.C., experienced a troubling surge in violence with…
Robert DeNiro's daughter meets with Pope Leo and breaks silence

Robert DeNiro’s Daughter’s Exclusive Encounter with Pope Leo: Breaking Her Silence

Robert De Niro’s daughter, Drena, has opened up in a heartfelt message…
Florida military families told to take down early Christmas decorations to comply with standards at Tyndall Air Force Base

Tyndall Air Force Base Enforces Holiday Decoration Guidelines for Florida Military Families

Military families residing in base housing in Florida have been instructed to…
Beau Biden should have been president, heartbroken father Joe says

Joe Biden Expresses Heartfelt Wish for Late Son Beau Biden’s Presidential Future

In a surprising revelation, Joe Biden expressed that his late son, Beau,…