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Mets Facing Potential Clay Holmes Problem After Kodai Senga Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 1:59 PM ET

In hindsight, maybe we worried too much about New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes' move to the starting rotation.

A former All-Star closer with the crosstown Yankees, Holmes has been everything the Mets envisioned. The 32-year-old Holmes threw five innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, lowering his ERA to a terrific 2.87 over 14 starts.

Holmes boasts a 68-25 K-BB ratio in 78 1/3 innings, and his 2.9 K/9 is especially impressive for someone who hasn't started since 2018.

Unfortunately for the Mets, they may want to limit Holmes' action moving forward.

Let's back up for a second. Kodai Senga is the unquestioned Mets' ace, but he'll likely miss at least a month with a hamstring injury. Although the Mets have a 4 1/2 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, plenty can change quickly—and the Mets do have a three-game set with the Phillies next weekend.

To be clear, we're not suggesting the Mets move Holmes back to the bullpen. However, the team must avoid asking their newest gem to shoulder more of the workload during Senga's absence.

Holmes has already set a career-high in innings, averaging roughly 5 1/2 innings per start. It isn't unfair to suggest Mets manager Carlos Mendoza should consider giving Holmes a lighter workload in the coming weeks, especially if the Mets want him at his best come October.

Neither Mendoza nor the Mets' front office have signaled a radical change is near, and it's unclear if they'll pursue a starter ahead of the July 31 deadline. We'll see exactly what the team has in mind, though the Mets should move cautiously amid a two-team division race.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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