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The New York Mets will be without Clay Holmes for “a long time,” in the words of manager Carlos Mendoza, after the right-handed starter suffered a fractured fibula during their 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Friday.

Holmes sustained the injury in the fourth inning when he was struck on the lower leg by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of rookie Spencer Jones:

Holmes remained in the game but departed in the fifth after allowing four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

As Mendoza’s remarks suggest, Holmes’ absence figures to be measured in weeks and perhaps months, which makes this a grave blow to the Mets’ already fading hopes for 2026. Holmes in this his age-33 season has pitched to a 2.39 ERA in nine starts and 52 2/3 innings. Coming into Friday night’s start, Holmes’ 1.9 WAR for the season led the team by a wide margin.

Once Holmes is placed on the injured list, he’ll join fellow Mets starters Kodai Senga (spine inflammation), Tylor Megill (Tommy John surgery in September of 2025), and Justin Hagenman (rib fracture). To take Holmes’ turns, the Mets could turn to Sean Manaea, who’s filling a long relief role presently, but he’s struggled this season. Prospect Jonah Tong, who made five starts for the Mets last season, is another possibility, but he’s fared poorly at Triple-A Syracuse in 2026.

As for the Mets, the Friday loss ended their three-game winning streak and dropped them to 18-26 on the season. They remain in last place in the National League East. The Mets aimed to contend this season after narrowly missing the playoffs last year. Thus far, though, they’ve been one of MLB’s most disappointing teams, and the loss of a key contributor like Holmes only makes their odds of mounting a comeback in the standings even longer.