TORONTO -- Cody Ponce left his Blue Jays debut on a medical cart on Monday night at Rogers Centre, a difficult scene to end his first Major League appearance since 2021.
The Blue Jays soon announced an initial diagnosis of “right knee discomfort” for Ponce, who is getting an MRI, with results and a full diagnosis expected as early as Tuesday. Monday’s game got away from the Blue Jays after Ponce exited, but after the 14-5 loss to the Rockies, their manager’s only focus was on his starter.
“He felt it hyperextended a little bit. That’s what he told me on the field,” John Schneider said. “We’ve got to wait for MRI results and we’re hoping for the best. This sucks with it being his first outing and what he’s been through. Hopefully, it’s the best news possible tomorrow.”
Ponce was running toward first base to field a ground ball off the bat of the Rockies’ Jake McCarthy in the third inning, when he reached down and bobbled his first play on the ball. As he tried to adjust his body to scoop up the ball again, he pulled up in pain, grabbing the back of his right leg, and went down on the infield dirt.
The Blue Jays’ medical staff raced out to Ponce, followed by Schneider, and the cart was quickly called to assist him off the field. Ponce was still in clear pain as the staff helped him to his feet and moved him over to the cart.
It’s a tough scene to witness for any player, but particularly Ponce, who spent three seasons in Japan and one in Korea reinventing himself as a pitcher to make his return to Major League Baseball. Ponce had a fantastic 2025 season in the KBO, posting a 1.89 ERA with 252 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings, which earned him a three-year, $30 million deal with the Blue Jays.
“You feel for him,” Schneider said. “The last couple of years and then getting back here [to MLB], and he was throwing the ball really well. Even on the field, McCarthy was pretty cool and was apologizing to him. In real time, Cody was talking back to him. I just told him to focus one minute at a time. There was a lot of emotion that goes into today, and he was really excited. It just sucks to see that happen to him. We’re wishing for the best.”
Going forward, the Blue Jays must already be operating under the assumption they’ll be without Ponce in the short-term, at the very least. With José Berríos, Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber already on the IL, the Blue Jays will need to determine who is next up in their rotation, a tricky puzzle given the lack of big league-ready depth at Triple-A. Currently, bulk arms Adam Macko and Lazaro Estrada are on the 40-man roster along with Chase Lee, a reliever capable of giving them two innings if needed.
“We’ll see how the testing goes with Cody,” Schneider said. “Going back a month ago, we talked about our starting depth, and you can never have enough. You never know what you’re going to face. There are always going to be challenges you think you’re ready for, but then something else pops up. If it’s not great news, we’ll have to look at the best possible outcome for the time being and see who’s going to be ready. Right now I’m just focused on Cody and hoping he’s all right.”
Schneider typically meets with the media to provide injury updates three hours prior to first pitch, which is when we should have a clearer picture of Ponce’s diagnosis on Tuesday.