Mets get bittersweet update on Clay Holmes

The New York Mets are holding onto a sliver of hope that Clay Holmes can come back this season after breaking his leg.

Holmes fractured his tibia in the 4th inning of Friday’s matchup against the New York Yankees at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. The converted closer got struck in the right leg by a 111.1-mph comebacker off the bat of Spencer Jones.

Holmes spoke to reporters on Sunday and revealed that he needs at least a month of rest and another month to ramp up, which puts his timeline to return at 2-3 months.

According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, surgery has not been completely ruled out for Holmes, but the Mets remain hopeful that the veteran hurler can avoid it altogether.

The Holmes injury is yet another blow to the Mets during a snakebitten season. New York is already dealing with injuries to Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr.

While it’s good news for the Mets that Holmes could return sometime this season, there’s no guarantee that the team will be competitive enough by then for it to matter.

The Mets have been playing better of late, but still entered Monday with a 20-26 record — last in the NL East. Holmes has been their best pitcher thus far, with a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 9 starts this season.