The Chicago Cubs made a major investment in their starting rotation at the trade deadline by acquiring him from the New York Mets. The move was intended to provide manager Craig Counsell with another proven arm as Chicago looks to make a deep postseason run.
Before suffering a fractured right fibula in May, he had emerged as one of New York’s most reliable starters. He recorded a 2.39 ERA across his first nine starts, making his injury and eventual trade to Chicago an intriguing gamble for the Cubs as they counted on him to regain his previous form.
Unfortunately for Chicago, Holmes’ first outing in a Cubs uniform did little to ease concerns about whether he can return to his best.
Chicago Cubs’ Blockbuster Trade Addition Sends Injury Message
As expected, he showed some rust in his first major league appearance since suffering the injury on May 15. Although he completed three rehab starts in the Mets’ minor-league system, facing big league hitters again proved to be a much tougher test.
Making his Cubs debut on the road against the Kansas City Royals, Holmes surrendered four runs over four innings and was charged with the loss, giving Chicago an underwhelming first look at its major trade-deadline acquisition.
After a difficult Cubs debut, Holmes bounced back with a much stronger second start. However, the right-hander cautioned that inconsistent performances are likely to be part of the process as he continues working his way back from a significant injury.
“Coming back from injury, it’s always a process,” Holmes said, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. He acknowledged that his first outing may not have been as poor as the numbers suggested, just as his second start may have made him look better than he actually was.
For Holmes, the key is continuing to build his form and improve with each outing as he regains his confidence and rhythm on the mound.
Holmes’ warning came after an encouraging outing at Wrigley Field, providing Cubs fans with plenty of reason to believe his first rough start may have been more of an adjustment period than a sign of things to come.
After allowing four runs in his Chicago debut, Holmes delivered a dominant performance at home, tossing 6⅔ scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit. The impressive bounce-back outing offered a glimpse of the pitcher the Cubs hoped they were acquiring at the trade deadline.
If Chicago is serious about making a deep postseason run, getting Holmes back to his best could provide a significant boost to the rotation. However, the right-hander still needs to gradually increase his workload, sharpen his command and regain the consistency that made him such an attractive target as the Cubs looked to strengthen their pitching staff for October.
