Proper-hander Paul Blackburn turned in the very best pitching efficiency the Mets have acquired all week. He was rewarded by being designated for task Saturday. The Mets didn’t have a lot of a selection, and with little roster flexibility they needed to make a transfer to clear a roster spot for Nolan McLean, Saturday’s starter.
His tenure in New York didn’t precisely work out the best way he or the Mets had hoped. Traded from the Oakland A’s on the deadline final summer time to bolster their beginning pitching depth, Blackburn spent most of his time with the Mets on the injured record. In between, his efficiency was wildly inconsistent, with good begins and a few downright terrible performances, going 1-5 with a 6.00 ERA in 12 appearances (9 begins).
Nonetheless, the Mets might have dealt with the state of affairs otherwise.
For the entire goodwill the membership has gained for treating the gamers and households with the utmost respect and gratitude, they didn’t precisely lengthen that very same courtesy to Blackburn this season. It’s been clear for some time the Mets are performed with him, and so they even tried to commerce him on the deadline. Unable to take action, they appeared content material to expire his rehab clock and stash him within the minor leagues.
However then they wanted a pitcher Wednesday. Clay Holmes couldn’t make it by even 4 innings, and Justin Hagenman, a right-hander with minor league choices, got here in to do what Holmes couldn’t by pitching 4 innings. The Mets optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse the next day to have the ability to get a contemporary arm within the bullpen, and as a substitute of calling up one other reliever with choices, they determined to activate Blackburn.
The 31-year-old was set to make one more rehab begin in Syracuse. He wakened in a lodge room to a messenger banging on the door and a missed name from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. Anticipating to make his thirteenth rehab begin of the season, as a substitute, he was knowledgeable he was wanted in Queens that evening.
Blackburn appeared annoyed with being on a airplane practically each different day this season to make rehab begins or face minor league hitters at varied ranges.
“I just want to be in a place and pitch, really,” Blackburn mentioned. “I just want to be somewhere and pitch.”
Nonetheless, he gave the Mets 5 innings to avoid wasting the bullpen.
The damage that ended his 2024 season was freak in nature, a spinal fluid leak in his mid-back. Understanding his spot within the rotation wasn’t assured out of spring coaching this yr, Blackburn labored arduous to point out as much as camp in form and ended up forward of schedule after the offseason process to restore the leak. However then he wakened with a swollen knee shortly earlier than Opening Day, and the Mets positioned him on the injured record for what they initially mentioned would solely be two weeks.
A abdomen virus reset his rehab clock, protecting him out till June, when the Mets determined to insert a sixth starter into the rotation. Blackburn gave them 5 scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium, then moved him into the bullpen, the place he was far much less efficient. Pitching in reduction wasn’t actually what a profession starter needed, however he needed to contribute to the group.
A shoulder impingement landed him on the IL once more only some weeks later. A number of instances, the Mets appeared able to activate him saying he was making his remaining rehab begin, just for them to schedule one other for him.
They needed to maximise their roster, and with Blackburn being a veteran of practically 9 years, he understands the enterprise side of what the Mets wanted to do. However they did commerce for him, presumably to make use of him, and so they traded for him understanding he had an damage historical past. Tylor Megill has a prolonged damage historical past as nicely, however the Mets have proven him way more favor regardless of having had much less general profession success on the mound.
What Megill has, nevertheless, is choices and group management. Blackburn is about to develop into a free agent on the finish of the season and consuming the remainder of his $4.05 million is extra palatable than consuming the cash for Frankie Montas, a equally underperforming right-hander who’s making $17 million this season and has a participant choice for $17 million subsequent season. He’s develop into an costly lengthy reliever, with the Mets unable to belief him in a beginning position in the mean time.
President of baseball operations David Stearns constructed a rotation round mission pitchers with damage histories. It labored out final season with Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, it hasn’t labored this yr with accidents to Blackburn, Manaea, Montas, Megill and Kodai Senga.
For those who’re going to amass pitchers with damage histories, you’ll be able to’t be stunned once they get injured.
NOTES
Luisangel Acuña is with the Mets in Queens and can journey with them to Williamsport, Penn., for the Little League Basic on Sunday to function the twenty seventh participant.
Initially Printed: August 16, 2025 at 5:13 PM EDT
