PORT ST. LUCIE — Clay Holmes knew the day would arrive, however this quickly?
The Mets pitcher — sporting a neatly trimmed beard — indicated he was caught unexpectedly Friday to study his former crew, the Yankees, had eradicated a long-standing rule prohibiting facial hair.
“Everyone always talked about the day will probably come, but it felt like a day far off,” mentioned Holmes, who’s scheduled to begin and face three ups (which means a minimum of pitching into the third inning) within the Mets’ spring coaching opener on Saturday. “It’s surprising that it’s here and I think it’s probably something the players have wanted.”
Although he now wears a beard, Holmes mentioned it’s one thing that was by no means a giant deal for him when he performed for the Yankees.
The fitting-hander arrived to the Mets on a three-year contract value $38 million within the offseason.
Holmes recalled the necessity to change his take care of arriving to the Yankees in a commerce with the Pirates in 2021.
“It was a thing for me, when I got traded over I had long hair and a big beard and I shaved it off,” Holmes mentioned.
However Holmes mentioned the mandate additionally served the aim of reminding him he wasn’t in Pittsburgh any longer.
“There’s something about it — a physical, tangible thing,” Holmes mentioned. “And like, ‘I’m with the Yankees now, [the beard] is gone.’ It kind of makes things a little more real.”
Holmes was requested who amongst his former Yankees teammates is most probably to develop a beard now that the coverage has been modified.
“I would say [Carlos] Rodón,” Holmes mentioned. “He already has a mustache.”
Carlos Mendoza is prepared for his crew to start the Grapefruit League season.
The Mets’ opener is Saturday in opposition to the Astros at Clover Park, with Holmes because the scheduled beginning pitcher.
Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are among the many starters who will play.
“We were ready to play games a few days ago,” Mendoza mentioned. “Now we get to see some of them in full uniform, against real competition. You are facing different arms, you are not facing your own teammates. You get to play baseball and I am excited about that.”
David Peterson pitched two innings of reside batting follow and surrendered a homer to Alonso.
Tylor Megill additionally pitched two innings.
