Port St. Lucy – Clay Holmes knew that day would arrive, but this is soon?
The Mets pitcher – wearing a neatly tidy beard – showed he got caught up in surprise on Friday to learn his former team, the Yankees.
“Everyone would have always talked about this day, but it felt like a distant day,” he said, adding three UPS (which means pitching at least three innings) at the Mets' spring training opener. Holmes said that it will begin and face Saturday. “It's amazing to be here and I think it's probably something the players wanted.”
He's wearing a beard now, but Holmes said it wasn't a big deal for him when he played for the Yankees.
The right-hander arrived at the Mets on a three-year contract worth $38 million in the offseason.
Holmes recalled the need to change his appearance after he arrived at the Yankees in 2021 on trade with the pirates.
“It was for me. When I was traded, I had long hair and a big beard and shaved it,” Holmes said.
However, Holmes said the mission also serves as a reminder to him that he is no longer in Pittsburgh.
“There's something about it – it's physical and concrete,” Holmes said. “And now, I'm with the Yankees, [the beard] It's gone. “It makes things a little more realistic. ”
Holmes was asked who of his former Yankees teammates is most likely to grow beards now that policy has changed.
“I'll say that [Carlos] Rodon,” Holmes said. “He already has a mustache.”
Carlos Mendoza is ready for his team to begin Grapefruitregue season.
The Mets opener will face the Astros at Clover Park on Saturday, with Holmes being the scheduled starting pitcher.
Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are one of the starting players to play.
“I was ready to play the game a few days ago,” Mendoza said. “Now we can see some of them in full uniform, against real competition. You are facing different arms, you are facing your own teammates You can play baseball and I'm excited about it.”
David Peterson pitched two innings of live batting practice, causing Homer to surrender to Alonso.
Tylor Megill also pitched two innings.
