Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce, who exited his MLB debut Monday with a right knee injury, has been diagnosed with a sprained ACL. The injury will sideline him for a long time, with manager John Schneider noting only a slight chance of a 2026 return. Ponce was placed on the 15-day IL.
Following his injury in the third inning of Monday's 14-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre—where he pitched 2⅓ innings before collapsing while fielding a grounder—Ponce underwent an MRI. Doctors are assessing the damage and surgery potential, with a full diagnosis expected by Wednesday's series finale. Schneider spoke with Ponce, saying, “The person in me just hates it for him. His first outing, weird play, all of that. But he’s handling it OK.”
Ponce's brother-in-law, 49ers tight end George Kittle, attended the debut and provided support while rehabbing his own injury.
The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Toronto after successful stints in Japan and Korea, marking his first MLB action since 2021.
The injury worsens Toronto's rotation issues, with Shane Bieber (elbow), José Berríos (elbow stress fracture), and Trey Yesavage (shoulder) also sidelined. Schneider will turn to options like Lazaro Estrada, Adam Macko, CJ Van Eyk, and Chad Dallas. The Blue Jays are 3-1 entering Tuesday.