Pirates Pitcher Clay Holmes Suffers Right Foot Fracture After Being Struck by Line Drive

A line drive to the foot could send Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Clay Holmes to an uncertain spot. In Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins, a Nelson Cruz ground ball struck Holmes in his right foot, a strike that was revealed on Sunday to have caused a foot fracture.

Holmes is expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks, effectively ending the 26-year-old's spring and his audition to stick on the big league roster. He came into the spring out of minor-league options.

Holmes will start the 2020 season on the injured list, leaving the Pirates with some time to make a decision on his future.

Holmes appeared in three games this spring, striking out one and hitting one over 2.1 innings pitched. Since being drafted in 2012, Holmes has steadily advanced through the minors. He has pitched to a 3.63 ERA with 474 strikeouts and 285 walks in his minor league career. He has been regarded as one of Pittsburgh's better relief prospects over the past few seasons, but has failed to earn a regular spot on the staff.

He got his first taste of major league action in 2018, and has a 2-5 record with a 6.01 ERA over 46 major-league appearances. Over 50 innings out of Pittsburgh’s bullpen last season, Holmes posted a 5.58 ERA with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

He was set to compete for one of the Pirates' bullpen spots for 2020, and his injury is not expected to affect his roster status.