Mets' $38,000,000 pitcher calls Gerrit Cole’s injury a "tough loss" but trusts Yankees' resilience

New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes praised his former teammate Gerrit Cole after the New York Yankees ace underwent elbow surgery this week, ruling him out for the 2025 season. Holmes said that losing Cole for the season is a big blow for the Yankees, yet he is confident that they will find someone to fill up the void.

Clay Holmes spent four seasons with the Yankees and was the closer for the team until he lost the role last year. The 31-year-old became a free agent at the end of the 2024 season and signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets

On Tuesday, Holmes was a guest on "The Show" podcast from The New York Post Sports, hosted by veteran MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. He offered his perspective on the injury layoff for Gerrit Cole following the latter's Tommy John surgery.

"It's tough. I know it's tough on him. It's news that nobody wants to hear," Holmes said. "He's a guy that has set the benchmark in a lot of ways."

"Losing a guy like him is tough for any team," Holmes added. "At the same time, every team needs starting pitching. Their pitching has improved these past few years. So, I'm sure there are guys that are going to have to step up, and they have to fill the role somehow."

The Yankees will also have to cope without Luis Gil in their starting rotation for Opening Day. The 2024 American League Rookie of the Year is sidelined for three months due to a lat strain on his right shoulder.

Clay Holmes reflects on the durability of Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole had missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to an elbow issue (Image Source: IMAGN)

Clay Holmes praised the remarkable durability that Gerrit Cole had shown in his stellar major league career as he shared his empathy with the Yankees ace during the podcast.

"In a day and age where it seems like two Tommy Johns is not rare anymore, for Gerrit to make it this long in his career, to throw as hard as he has, for this long, it's truly been remarkable," Holmes said. "It's tough for him. It's a hard thing for anybody to swallow. You're missing time. The game's been taken away from you a little bit."

"But it's been impressive what he's been able to do, as far as with his health," Holmes added. "The innings he's thrown. The velocity he's thrown with. So, he's truly been incredible."

Gerrit Cole is set to miss the entire 2025 campaign for the Yankees to recuperate from the surgery. The 2023 AL Cy Young winner was limited to 22 starts last season after he was sidelined for the opening two and a half months due to inflammation in his right elbow.