All potential outcomes remain under consideration for New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes as he approaches his return from the injured list, with the trade deadline set for Monday. Holmes, who is recovering from a broken fibula, pitched four scoreless innings in his second minor league rehabilitation outing on Tuesday for Single-A St. Lucie.
Interim manager Andy Green stated that Holmes will throw a bullpen session later in the week, after which his next step will be determined. "Obviously anybody can count out and see where we are five days [from Tuesday] and it’s Sunday before the deadline," Green said. "There is a decision to be made around that."
Holmes, along with Freddy Peralta, is among the Mets’ primary starting pitchers who could be traded. Holmes has posted a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season and has the option to opt out of his contract after the current season.
In other team news, Francisco Alvarez has recorded a .981 OPS in 15 games since July 3. Alvarez hit an RBI double in the fifth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves, breaking a scoreless tie. Green noted Alvarez's recent performance, saying, "Since I have sat in this seat over the last month, he’s had really good at-bats. I see someone who swings with confidence. He impacts the ball like very few guys in the game. It comes off hot. There’s power — a huge hit in the gap for us today."
Carson Benge drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of the first game with a double, giving the Mets a 3-2 lead. This was Benge's fourth go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning or later this season, tying him for fourth in MLB in that category.
As of the second game of the doubleheader, Mets pitchers had compiled a 3.09 ERA since the All-Star break, ranking as the third-lowest mark in Major League Baseball. The team's bullpen ERA stood at 2.23, the lowest in the National League and third-lowest in the majors.