Mets' Blackburn had a procedure to repair leaking spinal fluid, team says

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn had a procedure this month to repair leaking spinal fluid, the team announced Tuesday.

The issue sidelined Blackburn in September and caused him to miss New York's playoff run that ended Sunday with a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The team said Blackburn underwent a cerebrospinal fluid leak repair on Oct. 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Blackburn could return to play in four to five months, the Mets said, which would put him on the mound during spring training.

The right-hander was acquired from Oakland at the July 30 trade deadline for minor league pitcher Kade Morris to fill a spot at the back of New York's rotation down the stretch.

Blackburn, however, made only five starts for the Mets, going 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA. He landed on the 15-day injured list with a bruised right hand after getting hit by a line drive on Aug. 23 and was scheduled to return on Sept. 9 in Toronto but was scratched because of a sore lower back.

He said he felt a compression-like sensation during physical activity, and that's when he learned about the spinal fluid leak in his back.

Blackburn received 10 platelet-rich plasma injections and began throwing again on Sept. 18, hoping to return to the Mets in some capacity. But a few days later, they ruled him out for the rest of the regular season.

The 30-year-old Blackburn, an All-Star in 2022 with Oakland, finished 5-4 with a 4.66 ERA in 14 starts overall with the Athletics and Mets. He is 22-28 with a 4.85 ERA in eight major league seasons.

Blackburn had a $3.45 million salary this year and is eligible for arbitration this winter.

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