New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes suffered a broken leg on Friday evening during a game with the New York Yankees, and video footage caught the moment it happened.
He was hurt during the fourth inning when a comebacker flying over 111 miles per hour from Spencer Jones smacked him, CBS Sports reported.
There was a slight “click” sound when the ball bounced off Holmes’ lower leg and rolled towards first base. However, he did not appear to notice anything was wrong and stayed focused on the game:
“That ball was hit extremely hard,” one of the announcers said as team managers went to check on Holmes who stayed in the game until the fifth inning.
When reporters told Jones what happened, he said it was the first he had heard about it. “I’m sorry. He’s a friend of mine. We work out in Nashville together, so it’s tough to hear,” he added:
Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, “We got bad news. He’s got a fractured fibula, so he’s going to be down for a long time.”
Meanwhile, the New York Post reported, “The rotation has already been impacted by the loss of Kodai Senga to lumbar spine inflammation, as well as ineffectiveness by left-handers David Peterson — who has been pitching in a bulk role — and Sean Manaea, who’s in the bullpen.”
It can take bones over a month to heal and because the fracture was in his push-off leg, Holmes’ recovery might be complicated, according to MLB.com.
“In the interim, they must brace for at least a weeks-long absence for a pitcher who had become their most reliable rotation arm. Not only are he and Nolan McLean the only Mets starters to pitch into the seventh inning this season, but Holmes has done it three times,” the website read, noting Friday’s game resulted in a five to two loss to the Yankees.