Mets’ Paul Blackburn Undergoes Surgery; Could Miss Start of Spring Training

The New York Mets’ trade deadline acquisition’s season ended due to a spinal fluid leak in September.

Aug 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

What New York Mets’ president of baseball operations David Stearns previously described as an “unusual” injury situation on September 14 has now been addressed.

On Tuesday morning, the club announced that right-hander Paul Blackburn underwent a cerebrospinal fluid leak repair on October 11. Recovery from this procedure typically takes four to five months, which means Blackburn's return could align with either the beginning or the end of spring training, depending on the speed of his recovery.

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

Blackburn, set to turn 31 in December, initially landed on the 15-day injured list after suffering a right-hand contusion against the San Diego Padres on August 23 when he was struck by a 100.3 mph line drive. Eleven days later, he made a Triple-A rehab start, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four batters over 75 pitches in 6.1 innings.

The following day, Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Blackburn would rejoin the rotation for their series against the Blue Jays. However, Blackburn was ultimately scratched from his start in favor of Tylor Megill due to a “sore lower back,” which was later diagnosed as a spinal fluid leak. The exact cause of the injury remains unclear.

The former All-Star was expected to help stabilize the back end of the Mets’ rotation after being acquired from Oakland at the trade deadline. His performance, however, was mixed: he recorded three quality starts, allowing one run over six innings against the Angels, Rockies, and Marlins, but struggled in two outings against the Padres and his former A's teammates. Blackburn ended the season with a 5.18 ERA over 24.1 innings with the Mets and a combined 4.66 ERA across 14 starts.

With Luis Severino, José Quintana, and likely Sean Manaea (if he declines his $13.5 million player option) set to enter free agency this winter, New York may need to replace the 94 starts and 534 innings those three provided in 2024. With Blackburn's recovery, Kodai Senga trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2024, and Christian Scott sidelined until 2026 due to Tommy John surgery, the Mets face considerable uncertainties regarding their starting pitching depth.

Blackburn played the 2024 season on a $3.45 million arbitration salary. He is eligible to receive a slight raise next season before hitting free agency after the 2025 campaign, with Spotrac estimating his 2025 salary at $6 million.