Injuries & Moves: Blackburn out for rest of the season
LATEST NEWS
Oct. 2: RHP Paul Blackburn (back) done for the season
Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed Wednesday that Blackburn, who has been sidelined since taking a line drive off his pitching hand on Aug. 23 in San Diego, won't return regardless of how far the Mets progress in the postseason. Since early September, Blackburn has been dealing with back discomfort stemming from a spinal fluid leak. He received multiple platelet-rich plasma injections in the area but has been unable to ramp up activities without pain. One of the Mets' most prominent Trade Deadline acquisitions, Blackburn is under team control for one more season and should be back in the rotation mix come Spring Training.
Oct. 1: INF Eddy Alvarez designated for assignment; RHP Max Kranick selected to 40-man roster
Before Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, the Mets DFA'd Alvarez, who was ineligible for their postseason roster because he wasn't in the organization on Aug. 31. That cleared space for Kranick, who made the bullpen despite not pitching for the Mets at all this season. Alvarez had appeared in 13 games for the Mets, mostly as a defensive replacement.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in mid-back)
Expected return: 2025
Blackburn was scheduled to rejoin the Mets' rotation on Sept. 9 in Toronto, but he felt something in his lower back after his rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Sept. 3. That something turned out to be a spinal fluid leak, which prompted the Mets to shut Blackburn down on Sept. 14. He restarted a throwing program four days later but never returned and is no longer an option for the Mets in October.
Blackburn initially landed on the IL after taking a 100.3 mph line drive off his right hand on Aug. 23 against the Padres. He is under team control for one more season and should be back in the rotation mix next spring. (Last updated: Oct. 2)
2B/OF Jeff McNeil (fractured right wrist)
Expected return: Possibly late October
McNeil underwent an X-ray before the end of September that revealed enough healing in his wrist for him to begin ramping up activities. Complicating matters is the fact that McNeil recently traveled home to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. At some point in the coming days, he will either return to New York for his rehab or join the Mets on the road.
McNeil has been sidelined since taking a 74.3 mph curveball off the right wrist on Sept. 6. If the Mets make a deep postseason run, he could still play a role for them, but they'd need to qualify for the National League Championship Series or perhaps even the World Series for that to become realistic. (Last updated: Oct. 1)
RHP Christian Scott (right elbow UCL sprain)
Expected return: 2026
Scott's promising rookie season came to a premature end in late September, when he made plans to undergo a hybrid elbow surgery that combines a Tommy John ligament replacement with the insertion of an internal brace. Scott is likely to miss the entire 2025 season and be ready for Opening Day 2026. At that point, he will be closing in on his 27th birthday with nine career big league starts on his resume. The Mets are hopeful he can still be a significant part of their future, but that is now far down the road. (Last updated: Sept. 18)
RHP Dedniel Núñez (strained right flexor tendon)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets shut Núñez down for the season after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right flexor tendon, which has bothered him to varying extends since July. Initially, Núñez missed a month due to a similar injury. He returned for a single outing on Aug. 24 before landing back on the IL.
Following a second opinion, Núñez received his PRP shot on Sept. 13 in hopes of avoiding surgery. The Mets don't know yet if the conservative treatment plan will work, but their hope is Núñez will be back at full strength by Opening Day 2025. He was one of New York's best relievers when healthy, with a 2.31 ERA over 25 appearances. (Last updated: Sept. 13)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Kodai Senga (high-grade left calf strain)
Expected return: Possibly October
Senga never made it back during the regular season after he began experiencing triceps tightness during a Sept. 21 rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse. He continued throwing, however, including a 25-pitch live batting practice session on Sept. 30 -- his first time facing hitters since that rehab start. Senga hopes to return to the Mets at some point later in the postseason.
How feasible that actually is remains to be seen. Manager Carlos Mendoza has continually deflected questions about Senga's availability, laughing at times when pressed for specifics.
"We'll see," Mendoza said. "We'll see."
Senga injured his leg in the sixth inning of the Mets' 8-4 victory over the Braves on July 26, went on the IL one day later and was shifted to the 60-day IL a day after that. He has spent all but about 24 hours of this season on the IL. Even if he's able to pitch in the playoffs, it would likely be in an abbreviated role. (Last updated: Oct. 1)
RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets removed Reid-Foley from his rehab assignment in mid-August to give him time to strengthen his shoulder, which had affected him to varying extents since March. He resumed throwing in early September but ran out of time to rejoin the Mets, who plan to finish their season without him. Arbitration-eligible for the first time, Reid-Foley will be a non-tender candidate this offseason. (Last updated: Sept. 28)
INF Ronny Mauricio (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets announced on Aug. 2 that the 23-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his right knee earlier in the week.
“Obviously not the news that you want,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s part of the rehab process. It’s just a little bump in the road.”
Mauricio underwent a separate surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. There had been hope he could return before the end of the regular season, but his second operation removed any possibility of that.
Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with six extra-base hits, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases over a 26-game stint with the big league club in 2023. (Last updated: Aug. 2)
RHP Drew Smith (right elbow sprain)
Expected return: 2025
Smith underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career on July 12, after doctors found significant ligament damage in his right elbow. The operation, which involved both a ligament reconstruction and the addition of a stabilizing internal brace, ended Smith's season.
The right-hander can be a free agent in November and could miss all of next season, depending on how quickly he progresses in his rehab. A typical timeline for Tommy John recoveries is 12-18 months. (Last updated: July 13)
LHP Brooks Raley (left UCL strain)
Expected return: 2025
Raley, a heavily used reliever who was having trouble recovering between outings in mid-April, had Tommy John surgery on May 29. The procedure, which Dr. Keith Meister performed in Arlington, ended his season and possibly his Mets tenure.
Because of a clause in Raley's contract, he is eligible to become a free agent in November despite having fewer than six years of service time. As such, he may have already thrown his final pitch with the Mets. (Last updated: June 30)