Paul Blackburn to Miss 4-5 Months After Back Surgery
Paul Blackburn, who went 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA in five starts after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics at the trade deadline, will miss four to five months after undergoing a cerebrospinal fluid leak repair procedure, the Mets announced Tuesday.
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The surgery was performed Oct. 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to the Mets. The timetable for his return would allow him to potentially be ready for Opening Day.
Blackburn, 30, was 5-4 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 14 starts combined with the Mets and A’s last season. He struck out 59 and walked 21 in 75 1/3 innings.
Blackburn’s potential absence may be a serious concern, depending on what the Mets do this offseason. With Luis Severino and Jose Quintana set to become free agents and Sean Manaea expected to opt out of his contract, the Mets are lacking rotation depth right now.
As it stands, they can only count on Kodai Senga, who made one regular season start, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Blackburn. Christian Scott will miss most of next year, and the Mets have a handful of quality prospects who could enter the 2025 rotation—but they can’t be relied upon to start the year.
Blackburn suffered a right hand contusion after being hit with a line drive in San Diego on Aug. 23. During a rehab start in early September at Triple-A Syracuse, he felt lower back pain. Initially, the diagnoses was believed to be a short-term industry but developed into one that could impact his 2025 availability.
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