The New York Yankees are set to receive a major bullpen boost ahead of their series vs. the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, as closer Clay Holmes is set to make his return from the 15-day IL, per Sweeny Murti of WFAN. The Yankees just split a series with the lowly Oakland Athletics, so getting the better of the Angels in their upcoming set will be critical. With a number of Yankees relievers on the mend, getting Holmes back into the mix is vital, and the team will be hopeful he can display the form he showed earlier that made him an American League All-Star.

Holmes got off to a roaring start to the 2022 MLB season, but struggled throughout July and August. From April-June, Holmes surrendered a total of two earned runs across 36.2 innings on the mound. The following two months saw the right-hander get shelled for 11 earned runs in 12.1 innings.

When his struggles continued into August, the Yankees opted to shut Holmes down temporarily, placing him on the IL with back tightness. There were rumblings that Holmes' injury was nothing more than a phantom IL stint in order to help reset his mind and get him back to being the dominant reliever he was during the opening months of the year.

The Yankees are hopeful that Holmes will show the absurd break in his sinker that made it one of baseball's most unhittable pitches throughout most of the season. A matchup with the Angels could be a prime time for Holmes to showcase that he's fully back and ready to contribute down the stretch for the Yankees' playoff run.