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Pitcher Cody Ponce Out 6 Months for Blue Jays

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Jim Parsons | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 6:51 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have been dealt an early and frustrating blow to their rotation. Right-hander Cody Ponce is expected to miss about six months after undergoing ACL surgery.

Ponce had just made his long-awaited return to the majors on March 30 against the Colorado Rockies—his first MLB appearance since 2021. He looked solid in limited action, striking out three over 2 1/3 innings, before things went sideways. While lunging for a ground ball off the bat of Jake McCarthy, Ponce suffered a non-contact knee injury and had to be carted off the field.

At first, the team hoped it wasn’t too serious, calling it a sprain and placing him on the injured list. But after further evaluation with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, it became clear surgery was needed—putting Ponce on the shelf for a large chunk of the 2026 season.

The Blue Jays Will Have to Adjust to the Ponce Abscence

For Toronto, it’s more than just losing a pitcher—it’s losing a piece they were counting on. Ponce signed a three-year deal this offseason and was seen as someone who could help steady the back end of the rotation.

Now, the Blue Jays have to adjust on the fly. Manager John Schneider said Ponce is staying positive, but there’s no sugarcoating how much this hurts. The team has already started reshuffling things, bringing up reinforcements like Lazaro Estrada to help fill the gap.

For a team hoping to finally break through in the AL East, this adds pressure right out of the gate. The rotation gets thinner, and the bullpen gets busier. The Blue Jays were already dealing with several losses — Jose Berrios has an elbow fracture, Shane Bieber is nursing elbow issues, and Bowden Francis out for the year after Tommy John surgery.

If all goes well, Ponce could return late in the season—but a more realistic target might be spring training in 2027.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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