Clay Holmes fractures fibula on line drive

New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes suffered a fractured right fibula after being struck by a line drive during Friday night's Subway Series opener against the Yankees at Citi Field, an injury that will sideline him indefinitely.

The incident occurred in the top of the fourth inning when Yankees rookie Spencer Jones hit a 111 mph comebacker that struck Holmes just above the right foot. The ball caromed into foul territory as Holmes attempted to pursue it. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and a team athletic trainer visited the mound, but after throwing two warmup pitches, Holmes remained in the game.

He completed the fourth inning, recording consecutive strikeouts and retiring Aaron Judge with the bases loaded. Holmes returned for the fifth, issuing a walk before being removed. In total, he threw 95 pitches, 26 of them after the injury. X-rays taken after the Mets' 5-2 loss revealed the fracture.

Manager Carlos Mendoza stated the pitcher will be out for a long time, calling the injury a huge blow to the team. He noted that Holmes had insisted he was fine to continue pitching. "We went out, checked him out, threw a couple pitches, was able to finish the inning," Mendoza said....