Minor League Mondays: Zach Thornton May Get A Rotation Shot With Clay Holmes Out

The New York Mets' rotation has been a strength this season but the unit took a big hit on Friday night. Clay Holmes suffered a fractured fibula when he took a comebacker off his leg from Spencer Jones, which should sideline him until deep into the second half of the season. That injury has created an immediate opening in the rotation, which the Mets may turn to their farm system to fill. The best candidate right now may be lefty Zach Thornton, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.

Zach Thornton may be in the Mets' rotation soon.

Thornton, 24, was the Mets' fifth-round pick in 2023 out of Grand Canyon. After a solid debut season in 2024 across the low minors, Thornton was on his way to a breakout in 2025, going 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA in 14 starts between High-A Brooklyn and AA Binghamton. An oblique injury ended Thornton's season in June, but he picked up where he left off to start 2026. Over the course of seven starts between Binghamton and AAA Syracuse, Thornton is 1-3 with a 3.16 ERA, racking up 40 strikeouts and 12 walks in 37 innings pitched.

Stuff isn't necessarily the glue for Thornton, whose fastball sits between 89-92 miles per hour most of the time, but he does have a nice mix of pitches to work from. Thornton's best offering is his slider, which he can use effectively against both righties and lefties, while his cutter is also solid. A changeup and a curveball round out Thornton's five-pitch mix, giving hitters something to think about.

The reason Thorton may have a leg up on pitchers with better stuff like Jonah Tong or Jack Wenniger is his command. Thornton issued only 11 free passes in 72.2 innings pitched last season, showcasing his ability to pump in strikes. Both Tong (24 walks in 38 innings pitched) and Wenninger (22 walks in 35.2 innings pitched) have had issues with walks this season, which is not what the Mets need at the big league level.

Thornton is currently rated as the Mets' 13th-best prospect according to MLB.com, with scouts rating him as a pitchability-based No. 4 or No. 5 starter. That style should suit the Mets just fine since they have solid options atop their rotation in Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean, with fellow youngster Christian Scott doing a good job stabilizing the middle of the unit.

The important thing to note is that Thornton is lined up with Holmes' schedule, having made his last start for AAA Syracuse on Friday night. It would be the easiest move for the Mets to simply promote Thornton before that rotation slot comes up again on Wednesday, keeping everyone else on turn and giving him a crack against a lefty-heavy Washington Nationals' lineup.

The start could be a key audition for Thornton since the Mets do have Sean Manaea and Tobias Myers on the big league roster as potential alternatives to fill Holmes' rotation spot. Young players have provided a spark for the Mets this season, as evidenced by the results from Scott, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, so it makes sense to give Thornton a look here to see what the Mets can get out of him.