Clay Holmes to start Opening Day for Mets after ‘very encouraging’ spring

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ Opening Day pitching assignment belongs to a new addition. 

Clay Holmes, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, will get the start for the March 27 opener in Houston. 

The right-hander, who has transitioned this spring from reliever to starter, received the assignment over Kodai Senga and David Peterson.

Other possibilities for the rotation to begin the season include Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill as Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat strain) will open the season on the injured list.?

“[Holmes] earned it,” Mendoza said Friday at Clover Park. “We like what we are seeing — I know it is a small sample size — but it’s very encouraging. He put himself in a good position. He showed up early in camp and he was ahead of everyone.” 

Holmes, who arrived on a three-year contract worth $38 million, last started a regular-season game with the Pirates in 2018. Holmes became an All-Star reliever with the Yankees.?

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Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner summoned Holmes to the manager’s office on Thursday to inform him of the decision. 

“I am not a super-emotional guy,” Holmes said. “I wasn’t doing jumping jacks, but I am excited. I don’t always show it. It definitely wasn’t a goal. But it will add reward for the work I had put in.” 

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He noted that getting the news from Mendoza was special given their relationship from their shared time with the Yankees. Mendoza was a coach with the team for six seasons before becoming Mets manager. 

“He’s seen me as a reliever and obviously we played against him last year,” Holmes said. “For him to tell me was special and to have Hefner, who has been very influential in this process, it meant a lot having the two of them there.” 

Holmes arrived in camp in mid-January to begin working toward stretching out for the season.

In his three Grapefruit League starts, he hasn’t allowed an earned run over 9 ?/? innings.?

Holmes expects to push his pitch count into the 70s in his scheduled start against the Nationals on Saturday and hopes to reach 90 before the Mets break camp.?

“It’s been a crazy few months, but I think it’s just a testament to the work I have put in, but the people I have been around here in the organization,” Holmes said. “There was a plan in place from the start. I believed in it and they believed in me and there’s been a lot of work these past few months and this is just a step. I am honored to be out there for the first game.” 

Mendoza wasn’t ready to announce any other starting pitching plans for the first week.

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The Mets have a scheduled off-day on March 30, following their third game, allowing the manager to utilize a five-man rotation and still give his starters extra rest.

There is another scheduled off-day on April 3, ahead of the Citi Field opener.?

Holmes will become the fifth different Mets pitcher to start on Opening Day over the past five seasons: Jacob deGrom, Megill, Max Scherzer and Jose Quintana started the previous four. 

“The bottom line is, every time I take the mound I want my teammates to believe we are going to win that day and give our team the best chance to win,” Holmes said. “I am pumped, excited to represent the Mets organization.”