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Blue Jays pitcher gets injury diagnosis after 1st MLB game in five years

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 6:06 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays suffered their first loss of the season in a 14-5 final against the Colorado Rockies at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, on Monday night.

Cody Ponce got the start on the mound for Toronto, making it his first MLB appearance since 2021. However, Ponce was carted off in the third inning after suffering a knee injury.

On Tuesday, the injury diagnosis came in, and Ponce is expected to miss “significant time” due to an ACL sprain.

Full tear avoided. Recovery may not need surgery but extensive rehab
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 31, 2026

Ponce went 2.1 innings, giving up just one run on one hit before falling to the ground while fielding a groundball.

Cody Ponce had to be carted off the field after an awkward step in stride while trying to field a ball.pic.twitter.com/IedJOV4UnQ
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 31, 2026

Ponce pitched sparingly in 2020 and 2021 for the Pittsburgh Pirates before going to Japan. Then, he joined South Korea’s KBO league, and he won MVP in 2025.

That ended up with Ponce drawing interest from other teams, including the San Francisco Giants, but the Blue Jays gave him a three-year deal worth $30 million despite his lack of experience in MLB.

Ponce was expected to be a big part of the Blue Jays’ rotation this year, so this injury certainly changes things just a few days into the regular season.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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