New York Mets trade acquisition Paul Blackburn was placed on the injured list back on August 25, nursing a right hand contusion after being hit by a comebacker in his last start.
The expectation, however, was that he returned from the shelf to start Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but that won’t be the case according to Mets insider Anthony DiComo.
Paul Blackburn no longer starting on Monday
“Paul Blackburn will no longer start tonight’s game, the Mets say. (He had been scheduled to come off the IL to do so.) Instead, Tylor Megill is the new Mets probable,” he posted on X:
As of Monday afternoon, the team hasn’t said why Blackburn was pulled from his start.
Mets insider Danny Abriano has three potential theories, ranging from injury to him or a different member of the rotation to the team employing a six-man staff to push the red-hot Sean Manaea to face the Philadelphia Phillies.
Megill will make at least one more start for the Mets
It will be Megill taking his spot on Monday, just a couple of days after it was revealed that he would be moving to the bullpen to accommodate Blackburn’s return to the staff.
Megill had made it clear that he was OK with the move to relief duty, but he will have at least one more turn in the rotation to show he can be a reliable swingman.
The righty has a 4.95 ERA in 56.1 innings of work, mostly as a starter.
Blackburn, on the other hand, has a 5.18 ERA in 24.1 frames with the Mets since coming over from the Oakland Athletics. He has a 4.66 ERA in 75.1 innings between the two teams.
Fans have no choice but to wait until official confirmation of the Mets’ plans for the week, but Megill is taking the ball for Monday’s opener against Toronto.
