At this stage of the season, given the style of play of other teams in the National League, any loss is a major blow to the New York Mets. However, an injury in the rotation could be an even bigger blow. With Kodai Senga likely to be out for the rest of the regular season, their depth in that area is thin. Losing another pitcher could prove costly as the Mets look to stay in the race for a Wild Card spot in the home stretch.
In the 0-7 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday Paul Blackburn had to retire after 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander was hit by a 100 MPH line drive from David Peralta in the second half of the third inning. Blackburn sat on the ground, was examined by the training staff and eventually removed from the game. A few hours later, it was confirmed that he had left the field with a bruised hand.
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That was just one more blow in a game that went wrong from the start. Blackburn really struggled before going out, allowing five runs on ten hits, including two home runs. It was a rough night for the Mets offense, too. Joe Musgrovewho has been playing well against the team lately, did just that. The right-hander allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings and did so on just 75 pitches.
Blackburn’s status is unknown, we’re awaiting an update. “It’s definitely swollen and it hurts a little bit, but I’ve got full movement in my hand again,” he said last night. We’re hoping the Mets will have a better idea of what’s going on sometime Saturday.
If he goes on the injured list, the team has two options. They can bring back Thomas B. from Triple-A Syracuse, who is not having a good season. Or the Mets could switch José Butto back into the rotation. The latter seems unlikely considering how important he was for the bullpen. Many hoped that Brandon Sproat could be called up towards the end of the season, but has a 9.24 ERA in three starts with Syracuse. That doesn’t seem to be an option at the moment.
Blackburn made a strong first impression with the Mets, but his recent results have not been good. In five starts since being traded, he is 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. Still, the team needs him for the final stretch. Otherwise, it will be up to Megill to find more consistency in the back of the rotation. Will Blackburn have to spend some time on the injured list? Can Megill take a chance if he gets one? Time will tell. But one thing is for sure: The rotation will be the difference between whether the Mets make the playoffs or not.
