Paul Blackburn’s “weird” season took another strange turn late Tuesday night when he was awoken by a messenger banging on his hotel room door after missing a phone call informing him the Mets were planning to activate him the next day from the injured list.

Paul Blackburn had already fallen asleep in his Syracuse, N.Y., hotel room late Tuesday when Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner tried to call him. With his phone on silent, Blackburn missed the call. About 15 minutes later,

Right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean, the Mets' No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will make his Major League Baseball debut on Saturday at an inopportune time, with his team mired in a horrific slump and All-Star Bryan Woo on the mound for the opposing Seattle Mariners.

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.

Mets designate former All-star pitcher Paul Blackburn for assignment, clearing space for top prospect Nolan McLean.