Paul Blackburn’s spring training took an unexpected turn after experiencing knee soreness following a minor league outing on March 22. Initially, he described the discomfort as “nothing crazy,” but by March 24, swelling had worsened, forming a “sack of fluid” that obscured his kneecap.
To address the issue, Blackburn underwent a fluid drain and gel injection, requiring a seven-day recovery period before resuming activity. Fortunately, by Friday, he reported feeling “great” and was able to rotate his knee again, a positive sign for his return to the Mets’ rotation.
He doesn’t anticipate any setbacks and expects to resume throwing by Monday.
“It was pretty scary, especially considering how hard he worked in the offseason,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s been having a great camp, feeling good, and then this happens in his final spring training start. But he’ll get through it.”
This isn’t the first injury Blackburn has dealt with since joining the Mets via trade before last season’s deadline.
On August 23, he was placed on the injured list after being hit on the hand by a line drive against the Padres. Initially, the Mets hoped he could avoid an IL stint after a CT scan showed only a bruise. However, persistent stiffness and soreness led to a move to the 15-day IL.
After returning, he experienced a spinal fluid leak that required a cerebrospinal fluid leak repair during the offseason.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” he said. “But this could have been much worse—it could have been structural damage or something more serious. Instead, we just have to drain it, wait about a week, and then I can pretty much pick up where I left off.”
