Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn was on the mound on Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse in another rehab outing.
Houston Astros reliever Héctor Neris used a balk to advance a runner to third on Saturday, then had an exchange with Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson that led to a dustup between the teams.
Rico Garcia has pitched well in brief stints with the Mets, but it appears he is being cut loose again for a fresh bullpen arm.
We got our first real look at the Mets’ retooled bullpen, as Kodai Senga labored for the third consecutive outing since returning from the IL.