diff --git a/pandas/core/generic.py b/pandas/core/generic.py
index 6a80fa3e93362..857b97f58d8a0 100644
--- a/pandas/core/generic.py
+++ b/pandas/core/generic.py
@@ -8935,9 +8935,7 @@ def _where(
             # reconstruct the block manager
 
             self._check_inplace_setting(other)
-            new_data = self._mgr.putmask(
-                mask=cond, new=other, align=align, axis=block_axis
-            )
+            new_data = self._mgr.putmask(mask=cond, new=other, align=align)
             result = self._constructor(new_data)
             return self._update_inplace(result)
 
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/array_manager.py b/pandas/core/internals/array_manager.py
index 99edec3c606d4..90591370c3583 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/array_manager.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/array_manager.py
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ def where(self, other, cond, align: bool, errors: str, axis: int) -> ArrayManage
     # def setitem(self, indexer, value) -> ArrayManager:
     #     return self.apply_with_block("setitem", indexer=indexer, value=value)
 
-    def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True, axis: int = 0):
+    def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True):
 
         if align:
             align_keys = ["new", "mask"]
@@ -356,7 +356,6 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True, axis: int = 0):
             align_keys=align_keys,
             mask=mask,
             new=new,
-            axis=axis,
         )
 
     def diff(self, n: int, axis: int) -> ArrayManager:
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py b/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
index 1356b9d3b2ca3..02c3340412983 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ def setitem(self, indexer, value):
         block = self.make_block(values)
         return block
 
-    def putmask(self, mask, new, axis: int = 0) -> List["Block"]:
+    def putmask(self, mask, new) -> List["Block"]:
         """
         putmask the data to the block; it is possible that we may create a
         new dtype of block
@@ -1009,7 +1009,6 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new, axis: int = 0) -> List["Block"]:
         ----------
         mask : np.ndarray[bool], SparseArray[bool], or BooleanArray
         new : a ndarray/object
-        axis : int
 
         Returns
         -------
@@ -1026,8 +1025,6 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new, axis: int = 0) -> List["Block"]:
             new = self.fill_value
 
         if self._can_hold_element(new):
-            # We only get here for non-Extension Blocks, so _try_coerce_args
-            #  is only relevant for DatetimeBlock and TimedeltaBlock
             if self.dtype.kind in ["m", "M"]:
                 arr = self.array_values()
                 arr = cast("NDArrayBackedExtensionArray", arr)
@@ -1040,14 +1037,17 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new, axis: int = 0) -> List["Block"]:
                 new_values = new_values.T
 
             putmask_without_repeat(new_values, mask, new)
+            return [self]
+
+        elif not mask.any():
+            return [self]
 
-        # maybe upcast me
-        elif mask.any():
+        else:
+            # may need to upcast
             if transpose:
                 mask = mask.T
                 if isinstance(new, np.ndarray):
                     new = new.T
-                axis = new_values.ndim - axis - 1
 
             # operate column-by-column
             def f(mask, val, idx):
@@ -1074,8 +1074,6 @@ def f(mask, val, idx):
             new_blocks = self.split_and_operate(mask, f, True)
             return new_blocks
 
-        return [self]
-
     def coerce_to_target_dtype(self, other):
         """
         coerce the current block to a dtype compat for other
@@ -1577,7 +1575,7 @@ def set_inplace(self, locs, values):
         assert locs.tolist() == [0]
         self.values = values
 
-    def putmask(self, mask, new, axis: int = 0) -> List["Block"]:
+    def putmask(self, mask, new) -> List["Block"]:
         """
         See Block.putmask.__doc__
         """
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
index ad9cdcfa1b07f..8e605a906eced 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ def where(self, other, cond, align: bool, errors: str, axis: int) -> BlockManage
     def setitem(self, indexer, value) -> BlockManager:
         return self.apply("setitem", indexer=indexer, value=value)
 
-    def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True, axis: int = 0):
+    def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True):
 
         if align:
             align_keys = ["new", "mask"]
@@ -577,7 +577,6 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new, align: bool = True, axis: int = 0):
             align_keys=align_keys,
             mask=mask,
             new=new,
-            axis=axis,
         )
 
     def diff(self, n: int, axis: int) -> BlockManager: