Blackburn (shoulder) played catch out to 75 feet Sunday, MLB.com reports.
After being placed on the injured list Thursday due to a right shoulder impingement, Blackburn was cleared to initiate a throwing program just three days later. Blackburn should have a chance at returning from the IL when first eligible shortly after the All-Star break, but he could be in store for a bullpen role upon his activation. The Mets currently have just three healthy rotation members, but Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Sean Manaea (elbow) both appear poised to return from the IL next weekend in Kansas City.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Will resume throwing next week
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Blackburn (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing until early next week, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
The veteran right-hander landed on the injured list Thursday due to a shoulder impingement, but the Mets don't seem concerned about the severity of the issue. Blackburn could be ready to rejoin the roster in late July, but he may not have a rotation spot waiting for him if Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Sean Manaea (elbow/oblique) beat him back from the IL.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Mets placed Blackburn on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Monday, due to a right shoulder impingement.
Blackburn wasn't able to make it past the first inning of his last start -- partially because he had to sit for 89 minutes during a rain delay before coming out for the second frame, during which he allowed three runs on five consecutive hits. He also seems to have also come away from that outing with a shoulder injury, which will cause him to remain on the injured list through the All-Star break. He'll be joined on the IL by Dedniel Nunez (elbow), and the Mets will bring up Justin Hagenman and Rico Garcia to fill the openings on their pitching staff.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Settles in after rough first inning
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Blackburn (0-1) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out two.
Blackburn wasn't fully stretched out in his second start of the season, as he was pulled after throwing 73 pitches, but he managed to settle in following Atlanta's three-run first frame. The Mets will likely need the veteran right-hander for at least one more start, with Kodai Senga (hamstring), Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) all still sitting on the injured list. Blackburn's next turn in the Mets' rotation lines up for a rematch versus Atlanta next week, when he'll carry a 6.94 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 8:4 K:BB through his first 13 innings of the year.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Notches four-inning save
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Blackburn gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk over four innings Sunday to record his first career save in a rout of the Rockies.
The veteran righty took the mound to begin the sixth inning with the Mets ahead 7-2, and they only extended their lead from there. Blackburn tossed 71 pitches (47 strikes) in his second appearance of the season, which will likely leave him unavailable for long-relief duties during a three-game set against the Nationals to begin the current week.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Impressive in season debut
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Blackburn pitched five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Monday, allowing three hits and issuing one walk while striking out three batters.
Blackburn was activated from the injured list Monday afternoon after missing over two months to begin the campaign due to a knee injury. The veteran right-hander faced a tough task on the road against one of the league's top offenses, but he shined with five scoreless frames during which he didn't allow any extra-base hits. Blackburn was in line for the win upon his departure, but the game ended up going to an extra frame after Edwin Diaz blew a save chance in the ninth frame. Blackburn was able to toss 77 pitches (49 strikes) in his season debut, so his limitations weren't major despite the extended time off. He's lined up to face the Rockies in Colorado in his next start.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Reinstated from 15-day IL
Rotowire
The Mets activated Blackburn (knee) from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Blackburn is set to start Monday's game against the Dodgers in what will be his season debut for the Mets after he recovered from right knee inflammation. The veteran right-hander will be part of a six-man rotation for at least this week.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Joining rotation Monday
Rotowire
Blackburn (knee) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list to start Monday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
Blackburn has been on the shelf all season while recovering from right knee inflammation, but he appears to be healthy again after completing a lengthy rehab assignment. He was especially effective over his most recent two outings at Triple-A Syracuse, covering 13.1 innings between those starts while striking out 10 and allowing two earned runs on five hits and four walks. The Mets will expand their rotation to six men to make room for Blackburn, but neither manager Carlos Mendoza nor president of baseball operations Davi Stearns were willing to say whether the six-man setup would continue beyond this week, per Garrett Stepien of SNY.tv. With that in mind, how Blackburn performs in a tough road matchup with the Dodgers could go a long way in determining whether he'll be in store for additional starts.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Targeting June 3 season debut
Rotowire
Blackburn (knee) is expected to make one more rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse before making his season debut for the Mets the following Monday against the Dodgers, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.
The 31-year-old right-hander has been sharp over three starts for Syracuse, posting a 2.63 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 13:6 K:BB through 13.2 innings, but the Mets have delayed activating Blackburn from the IL until they had a need in the rotation. That need arrives this weekend, when the team plays 10 straight games without an off day beginning May 30. It's not clear if New York will stick with a six-man rotation after that stretch, or if Blackburn will then shift into a long relief role.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Needs two more rehab starts
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Blackburn (knee) is expected to make two more rehab starts before being activated from the 15-day injured list, Joe Pantorno of AMNY.com reports.
Blackburn reached 60 pitches in his last rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday and is aiming for the 75-pitch mark Friday with Double-A Binghamton. He's expected to make an additional rehab start after that. There doesn't appear to currently be room for Blackburn in the Mets' rotation, so he could be slotted into long relief when he's activated later this month. Blackburn has been out all season with right knee inflammation.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Next rehab start set
Rotowire
Blackburn (knee) will continue his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
Blackburn was scratched from his second rehab start in late April due to an illness, but he's since made two appearances in the minors. The right-hander allowed a run on three hits with a 5:1 K:BB over 3.2 frames in his last outing with Syracuse, and he'll continue building up his workload Sunday. Blackburn was unable to earn a rotation spot during spring training and was poised to begin the campaign in a relief role before the knee inflammation surfaced, so a spot in the bullpen likely awaits once he's cleared to be reinstated.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Goes on IL with knee injury
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Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Wednesday that Blackburn will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to right knee inflammation, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Blackburn's surgically repaired back held up fine this spring, but he'll be shelved to begin the season with a different injury. The right-hander will be shut down for 7-to-10 days but is expected back before the end of April. Blackburn had been slated for a long-relief role before the injury.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Still in rotation mix
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Blackburn gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over 2.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals. He failed to strike out a batter.
While his final line was sketchy, Blackburn blanked the Nats through two innings before running out of gas in the third and serving up homers to CJ Abrams and James Wood. The right-hander appears to be on the outside looking in for a spot on the Opening Day rotation even with Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) sidelined to begin the season, but with the Mets planning to deploy a six-man rotation somewhat liberally in 2025, Blackburn should get starting opportunities over the summer.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Bumpy outing Sunday
Rotowire
Blackburn gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks over 1.1 innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He failed to strike out a batter.
After tossing a scoreless inning in his spring debut last week, Blackburn ran into trouble against a Boston lineup that featured most of its likely Opening Day starters. The 31-year-old right-hander is competing in camp for a spot at the back of the Mets' injury-plagued rotation, but Blackburn will need better performances than this to climb over Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning on the depth chart.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Cleared for spring debut
Rotowire
Blackburn (back) is scheduled to start Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Blackburn will most likely be limited to one or two innings in his spring debut as he attempts to make his case for a spot in the Mets' Opening Day rotation. With Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) both expected to begin the season on the injured list, the Mets should have at least two spots available at the back of the rotation for Blackburn, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning. All three could end up breaking camp in starting roles if the Mets opt to go with a six-man rotation, something that president of baseball operations David Stearns said over the winter that he was expecting the team to implement in 2025.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Throwing to hitters
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Blackburn (back) threw one inning of live batting practice Tuesday, Andrew Tredinnick of NorthJersey.com reports.
Blackburn worked with the Mets this offseason to refine his sinker and sweeper with the goal of adding more run to his sinker and more horizontal movement to his sweeper to make it less of a slurve. He got off to a rough start with the Mets after getting traded from the A's last season, including a hand contusion and a spinal fluid leak in mid-September that ended his season. He had surgery Oct. 11 that came with a three-to-five month estimated recovery, and we'll be at five months in mid-March. Blackburn is understandably a little behind the likes of Tylor Megill, who is reportedly furthest along of Blackburn and Griffin Canning, all of whom are competing for the final two spots in the Mets' six-man rotation.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Slightly behind competition
Rotowire
Blackburn (back) is a little behind the Mets' other rotation options at the start of spring training, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.
This is no real surprise, as Blackburn underwent spinal surgery in October. The 31-year-old right-hander made only five starts for the Mets in 2024 after being acquired from the A's, stumbling to a 5.18 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 21:7 K:BB in 24.1 innings, and he's never thrown more than 111.1 innings in a big-league season. If he demonstrates he's fully recovered from the surgery and back to his pre-injury form, Blackburn should compete for the No. 6 starter role alongside Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Avoids arbitration
Rotowire
The Mets and Blackburn (back) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday.
Blackburn was eligible for arbitration for the third and final time. The veteran right-hander is recovering from back surgery but is expected to be ready for Opening Day. However, it appears unlikely at this juncture that there will be room for him in the Mets' rotation.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Hopes to return next week
Rotowire
Blackburn (back) will play catch Wednesday and hopes to return from the 15-day injured list as soon as the middle of next week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Blackburn is dealing with a spinal fluid leak but is feeling better after being given about 10 platelet-rich plasma injections. The right-hander hasn't pitched in two weeks, and the layoff, combined with how well the members of New York's rotation are currently pitching, means that Blackburn would likely return as a reliever once he's activated.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: Diagnosed with spinal fluid leak
Rotowire
President of baseball operations David Stearns said Saturday that Blackburn has a spinal fluid leak in his back, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The Mets aren't sure exactly how Blackburn suffered the injury, but the team is shutting him down for the time being. Stearns noted that the right-hander's injury isn't expected to be a long-term issue, though there's no telling how long he will be held out.
