Toronto Blue Jays right-handed starter Cody Ponce may miss the rest of the 2026 Major League Baseball season after suffering an ACL sprain in his right knee. Ponce will undergo further examination to determine if surgery is necessary, and at the very least he’ll miss “significant time” with limited hope that he’ll pitch again this season,” manager John Schneider told reporters Tuesday.
Ponce, 31, suffered the injury on Monday night while fielding his position during his start against the Colorado Rockies — his first MLB start since 2021, when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Soon after, he was carted off the field, which suggested that he had indeed suffered a serious injury. He later underwent an MRI. The Blue Jays eventually lost the game 14-5, although Ponce pitched solidly in 2 â…“ innings prior to his injury.
The 2026 season marked Ponce’s return to the U.S. major leagues after spending three seasons playing at the highest level in Japan and then one season in Korea and remaking himself as a pitcher. The success that Ponce enjoyed in Asia plus his increased velocity and mastery of a kick change prompted the Jays to sign him to a three-year, $30 million contract this past winter. Ponce’s dominant turn in Grapefruit League play further raised hopes that he’d be an important part of the Toronto rotation as they aim to defend their American League pennant in 2026. The injury, then, is a grave personal blow to Ponce and also does harm to the Jays’ chances in what figures to be a highly competitive AL East this season.
In broader terms, the Jays have serious health concerns in the rotation. In addition to Ponce’s lengthy absence, José BerrÃos suffered a stress fracture in his elbow this spring, and Shane Bieber is on the injured list with elbow inflammation. As well, last year’s October phenom Trey Yesavage, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, is on the IL with a shoulder impingement.
Going into Tuesday’s slate of games, the Blue Jays are 3-1 on the young season.Â
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