BRADENTON, Fla. -- Clay Holmes will be in a walking boot for the next four to six weeks after a Nelson Cruz grounder caromed off the right-hander’s right foot on Saturday night against the Twins. Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed Sunday following the Pirates' 13-9 win against the Blue Jays

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Clay Holmes will be in a walking boot for the next four to six weeks after a Nelson Cruz grounder caromed off the right-hander’s right foot on Saturday night against the Twins.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed Sunday following the Pirates' 13-9 win against the Blue Jays that Holmes had sustained a fracture on the play.

It’s a devastating blow for Holmes, who drew praise for his scoreless debut on Feb. 22 and was focused on building his consistency this spring in the outside hope of earning a spot in Pittsburgh’s crowded bullpen. Holmes is one of four righty relief candidates for the Pirates who are out of Minor League options. His injury will freeze that timetable, meaning the club will not have to make a decision on whether to carry him on the roster until he has been activated from the injured list.

The loss of Holmes partially alleviates the logjam in the Pirates' bullpen, where there are still many qualified arms battling for too few spots. Now sans Holmes, the remaining righties without options include Michael Feliz, Dovydas Neverauskas and Chris Stratton.

Stratton worked the fourth inning Sunday. He allowed one hit and struck out a pair. The Pirates risk losing any of the candidates they don’t add to the roster on waivers.