Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees’ Struggling Hurler Addresses Clubhouse Support

Yankees closer Clay Holmes spoke out about a teammate's comments regarding his recent performance.

Grant Young

May 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (35) hands the ball to manager Aaron Boone (17) after being taken out of the game against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (35) hands the ball to manager Aaron Boone (17) after being taken out of the game against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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After starting the 2024 MLB season on a hot streak, New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes has struggled mightily as of late. 

In his past 15 appearances, Holmes has conceded 14 runs (10 of which were earned), 20 hits, and four walks, while also blowing five of his last eight save opportunities. 

Despite these issues, Holmes still boasts an impressive 2.82 ERA and 22 saves on the year, which is a testament to how elite he was earlier in the season. 

Holmes blew a save against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. That being said, AL MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge still expressed support for Holmes after that game. 

"That's our closer. I don't know what else to tell you, that's our guy," Judge told reporters. "He's been our guy and I want him out there in any situation. Bases loaded, no outs. Extra innings, bottom nine, top nine–that's our guy.”

Holmes bounced back on Wednesday by securing a save in a tight 6-5 win over Philadelphia to secure a series sweep for his team. 

After that game, he spoke out about Judge’s support.

“It means a lot for my teammates to have my back there,’’ Holmes said of Judge’s comments, per The New York Post. “No doubt, I wish it was a situation I could control more and put up better results to help the team. I can’t control everything. I’m a pitcher who relies on ground balls and it may not go your way.”

While the Yankees acquired relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos at the trade deadline, GM Brian Cashman made it clear that Holmes is his team’s closer moving forward. 

“I’m comfortable with Clay Holmes, I’m comfortable with what we have,” Cashman said Wednesday, per SNY. "I didn't enter the market enter the marketplace looking for closers, per se - I was looking for the best available talent."

Holmes will have to recover his early-season form soon if the Yankees are to make a deep playoff run. The hope is that his latest appearance can start another hot stretch for the high-leverage reliever.

At the very least, he still has the unanimous supoort of the entire Yankee clubhouse - and that means something.

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Grant Young

GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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