New York Mets Starter to Miss 4-5 Months

Jason Burke | Oct 22, 2024

Aug 23, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) reacts after being hit during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Former Oakland A's right-hander Paul Blackburn, now with the New York Mets, underwent a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak repair on October 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, per the Mets. The typical recovery time for this procedure is four to five months.

Paul Blackburn underwent a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak repair on October 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The return to play for this type of procedure is 4-5 months.

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 22, 2024

The A's traded Blackburn to New York on July 30, right after he'd made his first start back in the green and gold in two and a half months after dealing with a foot injury. With Oakland he held a 4.41 ERA across nine starts this season, and in five starts with the Mets, he posted a 5.18 ERA, though his FIPs at both spots was roughly similar at 4.60 and 4.69.

The 30-year-old grew up in the East Bay, and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 56 overall back in the 2012 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in July of 2016, and then from the M's to the A's for Danny Valencia in December of that year. Blackburn made his MLB debut in 2017 at 23, though it wasn't until the A's went through an entire competitive window until he got a real chance to stick in the rotation.

In 2022 with Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt having been traded, and Frankie Montas not far away from his own departure at the trade deadline, Blackburn had arguably his best season in the big leagues, posting a 4.28 ERA in 111 1/3 innings and earning an All Star nod. That is also the most innings that Blackburn has thrown in a season.

While Blackburn has found himself on the IL numerous times over the past few seasons, when he is on the mound and pitching, he has typically found success. He's not going to be the ace of the rotation, but he will have some ace-like outings. Generally, he's going to provide a solid outing for his team and keep them in the game.

For a team like the Mets that will have aspirations of playing deep into October once again, having those league average starters as depth options is a nice starting point for the team as they look to reassemble their roster heading into 2025.