Clay Holmes is making strides in his journey as a starting pitcher for the New York Mets this spring training. The former reliever is now focused on refining his skills and developing a game plan as he prepares for the upcoming season. In a recent exhibition game against the Nationals, Holmes showcased his progress, throwing 67 pitches over 3 ⅔ shutout innings.
Holmes emphasized the importance of not just relying on his sinker. He is working on using a variety of pitches and adapting his approach based on how batters react. “I want to experience a little more these next few outings,” he said, reflecting on his goal to improve his pitch selection and execution.
In the game, he allowed one hit and three walks while striking out eight batters. Despite some early struggles with his sinker, Holmes found success with his changeup, throwing 16 of them and generating six swings and misses. “Today I learned that the sinker command wasn’t totally there early, and instead of trying to force that, the changeup allowed me to pull back a little bit,” he explained.
Holmes is looking forward to additional starts this spring, aiming to exceed 90 pitches in his outings. He is eager to see how his performance holds up against batters the second and third times through the lineup.
Meanwhile, Brandon Nimmo is expected to resume running soon and hopes to return to games later this week after receiving a gel injection in his right knee. He has only played one game this spring due to the injury.
In roster news, several players, including Justin Hagenman and Kevin Herget, have been optioned to minor league camp, leaving the Mets with 49 players still in camp.
Additionally, former Mets star Darryl Strawberry has joined the team as a guest instructor, bringing his experience and insights to the spring training environment.