New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday in the 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Holmes was called on to work the ninth inning and didn't allow a hit or a run while striking out three. The 30-year-old right-hander gave up two earned runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in his first outing of the season last Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, but he's now thrown two scoreless innings since then, including his first save of 2023 on Wednesday. It was nice to see him get that first save, and he should continue to be New York's primary option for saves in the ninth inning.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that relief pitcher Clay Holmes is expected to close out the majority of the games for the team in 2023. "I would expect [Holmes] to close a lot of games for us. Probably most games, and hopefully a lot of games. But I do see a number of guys getting saves," Boone said. Holmes has Boone's trust despite a tough stretch in 2022 when he dealt with back and shoulder injuries. But there will also be some games where Holmes is called on earlier than the ninth inning in high-leverage situations. The 29-year-old right-hander led the team with 20 saves in 2022, and although he might not get all the saves in a traditional closer's role, he's still the best bet for saves in the Bronx after taking hold of the closer's job last year.

The New York Yankees agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with relief pitcher Clay Holmes on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. Holmes will make an extra $25,000 each for 25, 30, 35 and 40 games finished in 2023. In his first full season with the Yankees, the 29-year-old right-hander picked up a career-high 20 saves -- he didn't have a single save coming into the season -- and also finished with a career-best 2.54 ERA (2.84 FIP), 1.02 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 63 2/3 relief innings. He dealt with a strained right shoulder late last year, but he should be fine for spring training and is expected to open the 2023 season as the team's primary closer. Holmes isn't elite by any means and will have to continue pitching well to keep the gig, but he should be considered a top-20 fantasy reliever.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes was unavailable for Saturday's Game 3, according to manager Aaron Boone. He mentioned that he didn't want to use Holmes in back-to-back situations. Instead, the Yankees used Wandy Peralta and Clarke Schmidt who combined to blow the two-run lead against the Cleveland Guardians. Now, the Yankees will be fighting off elimination on Sunday night. The expectation is that Holmes is going to be available for this contest.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (shoulder) is on the team's roster for the American League Division Series this week against the Cleveland Guardians. It's great news for the Yankees bullpen with Scott Effross (elbow) and Aroldis Chapman not on the roster as the team opens up postseason action. Holmes missed the end of the regular season with a right shoulder strain, but he's recovered enough to pitch this week against Cleveland in the five-game series. The 29-year-old right-hander had a fantastic season (2.54 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 20 saves) in his first full year in the Bronx, and he should continue to be one of their best high-leverage arms at the back end of the bullpen against Cleveland.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes picked up his seventh win of the season Thursday night. He threw two innings of relief, finishing off a 5-4 extra-inning win over the rival Red Sox, allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout and no walks. The once-dominant Holmes has faltered of late, allowing earned runs in four of his last six outings, but this performance was more reminiscent of his dominant first half. Holmes still appears to have a tentative hold on the closer role, so fantasy managers should keep him active despite the struggles. He has a 2.59 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 65 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings this season.

The New York Yankees reinstated relief pitcher Clay Holmes (back) from the 15-day injured list on Monday. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season for both the Yankees and fantasy managers so far, converting 17 saves and pitching to a 2.39 ERA and a 2.78 FIP in 49 innings of work. He's also struck out 51 batters while allowing 16 walks and a home run in those 49 innings. He'll give the Yankees another late-inning option alongside Wandy Peralta, Lou Trivino, and Jonathan Loaisiga, though it is worth noting that he gave up seven earned runs, six hits, four walks, and a home run in his last four innings before landing on the injured list.

New York Yankees pitcher Clay Holmes (back) is on track to return from the injured list on August 29 against the Los Angeles Angels. He reportedly felt good after throwing bullpen sessions earlier in the week. The 29-year-old right-hander has 17 saves, a 2.39 ERA, and 51 strikeouts in 49 innings for the Yankees this year but struggled over his recent five appearances. He posted a 15.75 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP across four innings during that five-game stretch. Holmes is expected to retake the closer role for the Yankees once activated and should continue to be rostered in all league formats.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (back) threw a bullpen session of around 15 pitches on Sunday and didn't have any issues physically. He will take the day off on Monday and will likely throw another bullpen on Tuesday. Holmes' back issues that landed him on the injured list were never believed to be serious, so there's a chance that he'll return for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on Aug. 29. The 29-year-old right-hander has 17 saves, a 2.39 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 49 innings for the Yankees this year, but he's struggled in his last five outings, allowing seven earned runs in just four innings while blowing three saves. Holmes deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues, as he should at least see a share of save opportunities when he returns. Aroldis Chapman and Lou Trivino, among others, could see save chances until Holmes returns to the bullpen.

The New York Yankees have officially placed relief pitcher Clay Holmes (back) on the 15-day injured list due to back tightness. The 29-year-old had been falling apart on the mound over the past month. He entered July with a season-long ERA of 0.49, but his struggles since the start of July have led to his ERA increasing to 2.39 on the year. He blew each of his list three save opportunities before landing on the injured list. Aroldis Chapman is likely to step back into the closing role for the team with Holmes out. The veteran has pitched 9.1 straight scoreless innings dating back to late July and needs to be rostered in all leagues once again.

New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes (back) said his back locked up on him a couple of days ago, and it sounds like he's headed for a stint on the injured list. However, Holmes doesn't think the injury is a long-term situation. The 29-year-old right-hander has been great for the Yankees in the closer's role in 2022 with a 2.39 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, 17 saves and 51 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched, but he's really struggled recently. In his last five games over just four innings pitched, he's allowed seven earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three. Three of those five appearances resulted in blown saves. Whether he's actually injured or not, it seems like Holmes needs a break. Left-hander Aroldis Chapman is likely to handle most of the save opportunities for however long Holmes is sidelined.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes had another rough outing Friday night, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of work, blowing his fourth save of the year and earning his third loss in the process. Holmes struck out two batters. He still has a very strong 2.12 ERA and 0.96 WHIP on the year, but patience could run out quickly if Holmes doesn't right the ship in short order. Aroldis Chapman is lurking as another option to close out games, but fantasy managers should hold onto Holmes for the time being.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes had a disastrous outing against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The right-hander allowed a three-run homer in the ninth inning, which was only the second time he has been scored on this month. This counts as his third blown save of the season as his command continues to escape him. It's unlikely that the Yankees are going to pull him from the closer job. Fantasy managers should expect Holmes to bounce back from this. He might get a day or two off, but should remain as the closer in New York.

New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes had an uncharacteristically abysmal outing in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Reds. Holmes came on to pitch the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff walk, then allowed a single and hit a batter to load the bases. He allowed a run on another single and a second run after hitting another batter before being removed from the game. A later single would allow two more of Holmes' runners to score, saddling him with a blown save and the loss. This was a rough outing, to say the least, but Holmes has been fantastic overall this season, converting 16 of 18 save opportunities with a 1.37 ERA, a 9.15 K/9 rate, and a 1.60 BB/9 rate. His performance was good enough to earn him an All-Star recognition, and he has and should continue to be a fantasy All-Star.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes has been nearly unhittable all season long. That continued during his outing versus the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Holmes pitched a perfect ninth inning and held the one-run lead during Thursday's victory. He has recorded five saves in his last six appearances. Holmes has an unbelievable 0.47 ERA and continues to be one of the best relievers in baseball.

New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes picked up his seventh save of the season on Thursday night, closing out his club's 2-1 win over the Angels. The right-hander made quick work of the first two batters he faced, but he ran into trouble after walking Shohei Ohtani and then hitting back-to-back batters to load up the bases. He subsequently got Luis Rengifo to ground out to end the ball game and to keep his 23-game scoreless appearance streak in tact. Holmes has stepped in nicely as the club's closer with Aroldis Chapman sidelined and could keep getting save opportunities even when the lefty returns to the mound.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes worked a pair of scoreless innings during Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees have been cautious lately with the struggling Aroldis Chapman. That being said, Holmes worked the final two innings of Wednesday's victory over the O's. He allowed one hit over two innings and earned his third save of the season. He has allowed one run and amassed a 19/2 K/BB ratio in 20 1/3 innings. It's uncertain how long he'll continue pitching at this level of excellence, but fantasy managers should take advantage of it.

New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes picked up the final four outs for his club on Saturday, sealing a 5-2 win over the Orioles. It was the right-hander's first save of his career as he entered the game with two runners on in the eighth before getting a groundout, and then going back out there for a 1-2-3 ninth in which he was able to record one strikeout. Holmes has allowed one earned run through his first five appearances of the season, but it's appearing like manager Aaron Boone will take a committee approach for ninth inning duties with Aroldis Chapman struggling with control in the early part of the season. With several electric arms in the bullpen, it will be difficult to predict who will pick up the majority of saves outside of Chapman for the Yankees this year.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes was placed on the COVID-19 injured list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Royals. Holmes is dealing with symptoms, as the club is awaiting his test results. The reliever is the 16th Yankee to hit the injured list or COVID-19 injured list since the All-Star break, as the club continues to encounter problems with the virus, especially. A deadline acquisition, Holmes has recorded a 2.16 in 8 1/3 innings since coming over from the Pirates. The Yankees recalled Brooks Kriske as the replacement player from Triple-A.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes was effective once again in Saturday's win over Seattle. Holmes worked the seventh inning, impressively striking out the side on 11 pitches. He recorded an out in the eighth and was then lifted from the game. Holmes has been excellent in a Yankee uniform, pitching 6 1/3 innings with just one run allowed and a 6:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio since coming over from the Pirates. The veteran reliever is an ideal fit at Yankee Stadium, considering his 73.1 percent groundball rate, tops among all relievers. While he might boast improved ratios, his value is likely limited given that he's pitching in mostly lower-leverage situations.