The Mets could not have asked for much more from starting pitcher Paul Blackburn on Monday night, as he made a solid season debut against the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers after recovering from nagging knee inflammation that cropped up late in spring training.
The 31-year-old right-hander went five scoreless innings, allowing three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. It was his first MLB appearance since Aug. 23 of last year before an onslaught of injuries threw his career into question.
After being acquired from the Athletics at the trade deadline, Blackburn’s Mets debut was limited to just five starts after suffering from a cerebrospinal fluid leak that ultimately resulted in surgery.
He lost out on a starter’s role in the Mets’ rotation in spring training to Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning after Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas went down, meaning he was going to start the 2025 season in the bullpen. But just days before the start of the regular season, his knee began acting up.
His rehab process was methodical, though it was slowed down when he contracted the flu.
“There was a lot of uncertainty about how I was going to come back from it or if I was ever going to come back from it,” Blackburn said after his start in Los Angeles, which the Mets managed to win in extra innings 4-3. “Just being able to step foot on a big-league mound again and enjoy the energy, enjoy the game… there’s nothing better than that.”
It did not look like he missed a beat, though, against a potent Dodgers lineup, which included holding reigning NL MVP and superstar Shohei Ohtani to an 0-for-3 start with two strikeouts.
“He’s obviously one of the best hitters in the game, but I think just being able to go back and know that I know what he loks like in the box, I’ve sen it a lot,” Blackburn said, referencing to their many AL West matchups when he was in Oakland and Ohtani was with the Angels. “I’ve seen it a lot. I think that kind of helps.”
His stay in the rotation is likely going to be short, though, as his start was needed to temporarily expand New York’s stable of starters to a six-man unit amidst a stretch of 10 games in 10 straight days. After Monday night’s game, manager Carlos Mendoza admitted that there is “a pretty good chance” that Blackburn will head to the bullpen with Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea inching toward their returns from the injured list.
“I think my role here is a little different,” Blackburn said. “I’m just gonna be ready to pitch when they want me to pitch. I’m not blind to the guys that are coming off the IL here soon.”
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