Paul Blackburn said he just wanted to pitch “somewhere” when he was reinstated from the injured list Thursday. It seemed pretty clear then that the “somewhere” might not be in Flushing.

The Mets Saturday designated Blackburn for assignment to make room for righthander Nolan McLean, making his major league debut against the Mariners. Blackburn, whom the Mets traded for at the deadline last year, saw that campaign cut short by a spinal fluid leak, and was re-signed to a one-year contract this offseason before battling through knee and shoulder injuries that landed him on the IL two times this season.

“I had conversations internally, just about everything,” the nine-year veteran said Thursday, seemingly aware of what was to come. “I felt everyone kind of knew where each other kind of stood.

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