Mets' Paul Blackburn had back surgery to fix spinal fluid leak
Paul Blackburn of the Mets pitches during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Aug. 18. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Mets’ 2025 rotation has another question mark already.
The team announced Tuesday that righthander Paul Blackburn had back surgery this month to repair the spinal fluid leak that kept him sidelined for the final six weeks of the season.
A typical return-to-play timeline for this procedure, according to the Mets, is four to five months. That would bring Backburn to mid-February or mid-March, which likely will mean a slow start to spring training — giving the Mets some level of uncertainty with a rotation that already is sending Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana into free agency.
The Mets acquired Blackburn, who turns 31 in December, from the Oakland A's at the trade deadline in July to improve the back end of their rotation. They gave up minor-league righty Kade Morris knowing they would have Blackburn not only for the rest of 2024 but also 2025, if they choose, since that would be his final year of salary arbitration before reaching free agency.
Blackburn wound up starting only five games for the Mets, posting a 5.18 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. He initially went on the injured list Aug. 25 because of a right hand bruise, the result of a comebacker in a game against the Padres. He was on the brink of returning to the majors in early September when he encountered back soreness that wound up being the spinal fluid leak.
David Stearns, president of baseball operations, described it then as “not a long-term scary health situation.” The Mets initially treated Blackburn with “a bunch" of injections that were “supposed to seal up that leak,” Blackburn said at the time. He even had resumed throwing with the hopes of rejoining the team in the postseason.
When the pain continued, though, the Mets had him reexamined, resulting in the procedure on Oct. 11. Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles performed the surgery, the Mets said.
The Mets also have Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Jose Butto and others on their starting pitcher depth chart for next season.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
