Team USA lost an influential member of its pitching staff before a big game in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, as the New York Mets demanded he be sent back to spring training.
Team USA is feeling a lot of pressure ahead of the start of the elimination rounds at this year's World Baseball Classic. After a surprise loss to Italy earlier this week, the United States needed the Italians to beat Mexico on Wednesday night to avoid going home early from the tournament.
Nevertheless, they are expected to defeat Canada in their quarterfinal game and move one step closer to winning their first WBC title in nearly a decade. However, it looks like they won't have two-time All-Star Clay Holmes for the matchup with Canada and any other games in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
NY Mets demand Clay Holmes withdrawal from World Baseball Classic
"Clay Holmes will return to the Mets from the World Baseball Classic and take part in tomorrow's Grapefruit League game," MLB Network's Anthony DiComo reports. "The Mets wanted him back because Team USA could not guarantee him the workload he needed for the season."
Despite Team USA having four games under their belt during pool play, Holmes has only taken the mound once. This happened during their win over Great Britain last week when he pitched three scoreless innings and struck out six.
With Holmes set to be a part of the NY Mets' starting rotation again in 2026, it's understandable if the organization feels he isn't being prepared adequately for the start of the season in a few weeks.
This is a significant reduction in the WBC for American fans, as MLB teams are prioritizing their goals over Team USA. So now the US club will have no meaningful respite for some big matches in the next few days.
