Clay Holmes and Luis Robert Jr. aiming to join Mets soon

PHILADELPHIA — Clay Holmes was set to make his first minor league rehab start Saturday for High-A Brooklyn, but the weather had other plans for the right-handed starter. The Northeast is currently battling storms and smoke, with particularly heavy rainfall in the New York area that is forcing the Mets and Holmes to alter their plans. Instead, he’ll throw a live bullpen to A-ball hitters inside.

It’s not ideal, but it won’t set him back in his return from a broken fibula.

“He’s completely fine; he is geared up to throw around 45 pitches today, either in the game or live BP,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. “Where we stand right now, with where the weather is, it’s most likely going to be a live BP today.”

Holmes has 30 days to complete his rehab assignment, but there’s a chance he returns earlier. The bone is healed and he was able to throw during his rehab period to keep his arm strong. His rehab assignment will allow him to build his pitch count back up to where it needs to be to start.

“I think once someone like that is around the five-inning mark, the conversation can start as to whether he’s ready to come back or not,” Green said. “If you’re expecting a starter to give you less than that, it’s tough to ask for them to come back and be in the rotation. We’ll look at today as an outing, one way or another, probably in the three-inning range, and the next one probably bump up another inning, and after that, just determine on how he feels, how he’s thrown, what kind of rhythm he’s in.”

Holmes will also get some say in when he returns. The Mets won’t rush him back, and they won’t risk his health, but it could be beneficial to have him start at least one game before the trade deadline. Holmes has a player option for 2027, which he’s expected to decline to become a free agent, and has said he’s open to negotiating an extension to stay with the Mets past this season. But without that guarantee, he remains a prime trade candidate for a team that needs to get as much as they can in return for veterans at the Aug. 3 deadline.

The same could be said for Luis Robert Jr. He could return as soon as Monday when the Mets start a series in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The center fielder is in the final year of a six-year, $50 million contract he signed with the Chicago White Sox. The contract contains a club option for 2027 and a $2 million buyout.

With rookie outfielders A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge thriving and outfield prospect Nick Morabito on his way, it would be in the Mets’ best interest to trade Robert. It may not be that easy with his extensive injury history, however. Robert has been on the injured list since late April with a lumbar spine disc herniation. He’s played only 24 games this season, hitting .224 with a .656 OPS, two home runs, eight RBI, two stolen bases and 13 walks.

Once he returns, the Mets are expected to schedule off days once a week for Ewing and Benge to be able to get Robert and outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto into the lineup.

“All of them are going to play,” Green said. “That’s right for us from a matchup perspective, that’s right from a talent-level perspective. When it comes to the two kids that we feel strongly about, it’s our first full professional season, taking a day off a week as we get into kind of the dog days of July, August and September isn’t going to hurt them; it will help them. So we welcome really good baseball players back to the team, and we’ll be excited to get his bat in the lineup, and he’ll get some days off as well.”

Taylor is expected to be traded, which would open up time for Ewing and Benge. With right-handed hitters at a premium on the market this summer, Taylor could be an attractive candidate despite his less-than-average offensive numbers. He’s an elite defender who plays all three outfield positions and has been upping his offensive production since returning from the injured list recently.

Robert could get into the lineup at DH once he returns, but the Mets have to use that spot for switch-hitter Jorge Polanco, whose Achilles is preventing him from playing first base. Soto also gets into the lineup as the DH often, especially when the Mets have to prioritize outfield defense.