The Mets designated pitcher Paul Blackburn for assignment, the club announced Saturday, likely ending the right-hander’s rocky tenure with the team. The move removes Blackburn from the club’s 40-man roster,

Soon after the Mets’ 11-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com first reported that Blackburn was going to be designated for assignment. The move will serve to make room for Saturday’s probable starter, Mets No. 1 pitching prospect Nolan McLean.

The Mets trailed the Phillies by six games for first place in the NL East. Helsley’s latest letdown occurred on Friday, when the right-hander allowed two earned runs, recording only one out in the seventh inning, to flush a Mets lead. Overall, Helsley has allowed nine hits in 5 ¹/₃ innings since his arrival.

The New York Mets are struggling, and manager Carlos Mendoza can't put his finger on what exactly has gone wrong in recent years.

The left-hander had only a brief career in MLB, but he shared it with many of the young Mets who would go on to miraculously win the 1969 World Series.

Nolan McLean is as advertised. In fact, in his MLB debut, he had a start only matched by one of the most-hyped young pitchers in Mets history. McLean went 5.1 innings on Saturday and struck out eight without allowing a run.

Francisco Lindor’s stretch as an almost automatic out has been replaced by the opposite end of the results spectrum.