PORT ST. LUCIE — Clay Holmes is coming off one of the heaviest workloads of his career, and yet the Yankees’ closer does not feel like it.
After staying healthy throughout last season, and going into the offseason with a clean bill of health for a change, Holmes was feeling strong Tuesday after making his Grapefruit League debut with a scoreless inning against the Mets.
“I felt like coming out of last year, I was in a really good spot physically,” Holmes said after a 5-4 loss at Clover Park. “I was able to build off that in the offseason. I feel as good as ever right now.”
Holmes, after posting a 2.86 ERA and 24 saves across 63 innings last season, is entering his walk year.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old reiterated that his focus is on helping the Yankees win a World Series instead of his contract status, though his manager reinforced his importance to the team.
“We need him to be great for us to be what we expect to be as a team,” Aaron Boone said. “That’s our expectation for him. He knows that. He’s one of the real dynamic relievers in the game, especially when he really gets it rolling, as we’ve seen over the last few years.”
Holmes anchors a bullpen that will be without two of its top arms from recent seasons in Michael King and Wandy Peralta.
Though top setup men Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Loaisiga are both coming off injuries from last season — with Kahnle not a certainty to be ready right in time for Opening Day — Holmes is confident the Yankees’ relief corps can replicate the success it had while posting an MLB-low 3.34 ERA last year.
“If we keep putting guys in good spots and guys trust their stuff, there’s no reason why we can’t repeat what we did last year,” Holmes said.
Oswald Peraza made his return to the lineup Tuesday, a week after being scratched with right shoulder tightness.
The infielder, who started at second base against the Mets, said he felt inflammation “in certain movements” before returning, but didn’t think it was anything to worry about.
“Definitely much better,” Peraza said through an interpreter. “Good to get back in there, see game action. Now keep doing maintenance on it so it can keep getting better and be at a good point when the season starts.”
Peraza went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and received a scare when he was hit by a changeup on the brim of his helmet, though he remained in the game.
The Yankees made another round of cuts after Tuesday’s game, reassigning OF Spencer Jones, INF Jeter Downs, INF Caleb Durbin and OF Brandon Lockridge to minor league camp.