Blackburn (finger) is slated to make another rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas later in the week, the Associated Press reports.
After a blister and a subsequent brief paternity leave put Blackburn's rehab assignment on hold for just under a month, the right-hander returned to action with the Aviators on Sunday and surrendered four earned runs over two innings and 41 pitches. Nevertheless, manager Mark Kotsay noted he'd received positive reports regarding the outing and confirmed Monday that Blackburn will toe the rubber in the minors again later in the week. If there's an appreciable bump in pitch count and improved performance during that outing, Blackburn may be deemed ready for activation soon thereafter.