Mets Starter 'Pretty Optimistic' He'll Make Next Start

New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes says he expects to make his next start despite an injury scare on Friday.

Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the Athletics during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The New York Mets had another injury scare last night.

Starting pitcher Clay Holmes exited Friday's 4-0 loss to the Athletics in the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness. After allowing just one run through five strong innings, Holmes retired Tyler Soderstrom on a groundout to lead off the sixth. However, Holmes appeared in visible discomfort following the pitch. One batter later, Jacob Wilson singled to left field, and Holmes was removed from the game.

Clay Holmes has been removed from his start with an injury pic.twitter.com/dhbMmlAeqf

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 11, 2026

Holmes finished the night going 5.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Tobias Myers relieved Holmes and pitched three dominant innings before giving up three runs in the 9th.

Clay Holmes Optimistic He Dodged Major Injury

Apr 4, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Following Friday's game, Holmes remained confident that he wouldn't miss his next start.

“I’m pretty optimistic with it,” Holmes said. “I feel like I’ll be able to make my next start. But until we wake up tomorrow and see where we’re at tomorrow, we don’t really know. Can’t rule anything out, but I feel pretty good about it right now.”

"I'm pretty optimistic with it. I feel like I'll be able to make my next start. Until we wake up tomorrow and see where we're at tomorrow, we don't really know."

Clay Holmes talks about his optimism about making his next start: pic.twitter.com/G1WhdTJCOD

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 11, 2026

Holmes has been New York's most consistent starter so far in 2026, leading the staff in innings pitched (18.0) and ERA (1.50). New York can ill afford to lose Holmes for a significant amount of time. However, the team has options they can take should they be cautious with the 33-year-old right-hander.

Sean Manaea would likely be the leading candidate to take Holmes's spot in the rotation. The southpaw has made three appearances out of the bullpen after not making New York's starting rotation to open the season. Manaea holds a 3.00 ERA over nine innings so far in 2026.

Other potential internal options include Triple-A pitchers Jonah Tong and Christian Scott. Tong holds a 5.06 ERA through three starts for Syracuse. He bounced back on Wednesday with five innings of two-run ball, allowing only one hit and striking out seven. This followed a rough outing where he allowed seven runs (four earned) in just 1.2 innings.

Scott also looked sharp on Thursday, throwing five scoreless innings. It was a much-needed showing after he gave up six runs in his April 3 season debut. Yet, the Mets will likely continue to take things slow with Scott as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

If Holmes does not miss any time, his next start would fall on Wednesday on the road in New York's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But if Holmes isn't ready by then, the Mets have a decision to make that could cause turnover in New York's pitching staff.

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