Cody Ponce carted off field after knee buckles in first Blue Jays start

TORONTO – Cody Ponce’s first start for the Toronto Blue Jays was supposed to be a personal victory after playing in Asia for five years.

Instead, Ponce was carted off the field, covering his face with his arm, overcome with emotion and pain after his right knee buckled fielding a ground ball.

“He’s getting an MRI right now. We’ll see,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider on Monday night. “He felt it hyperextend a little bit, that’s what he told me on the field. 

“But we’ve got to wait for the MRI results and we’re hoping for the best.”

Ponce was cruising along on Monday in his first regular-season start for Toronto as the Blue Jays hosted the winless Colorado Rockies.

Facing centre-fielder Jake McCarthy in the third inning, he tumbled off the mound, earning a balk that advanced Kyle Karros to third. Ponce insisted he was unhurt, laughing as he composed himself and continued the at bat.

Three pitches later, McCarthy hit a ground ball between the mound and first base. Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement charged the ball and Ponce chased after it, but Clement gave the larger pitcher space to make the play. 

Instead, Ponce’s right knee buckled and he rolled to the ground past first base as McCarthy reached safely and Karros scored.

Schneider said that Ponce, Clement, and Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., all did what they were supposed to do on the play.

“I think if (Ponce) caught the ball, it might have been a different outcome,” said Schneider. “I think as he kind of stumbled to recover the ball, is where the injury happened.”

Ponce played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021, appearing in a total of 20 games with a 1-7 record and a 5.86 earned-run average. He had 48 strikeouts over a total of 55 1/3 innings pitched.

He then moved on to Japan and South Korea, improving his pitching and developing a kick change-up. 

Ponce had a 17-1 record over 29 starts with Hanwha in 2025, with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts to earn the KBO’s most valuable player award. He agreed to a three-year, US$30-million deal with Toronto on Dec. 10.

Ponce struck out three, allowing the one run on a walk and a hit in 2 1/3 innings Monday. Schneider said that Ponce was meeting off-season expectations in his brief appearance before the injury.

“Cutter, slider was really good. Fastball had good life. The change was where it should be,” said Schneider. “I think he was adjusting to bring it up in the zone a little bit more, to carry the zone a little bit more as he was going. 

“It was a lot of swing and miss against a really aggressive swinging team tonight. We liked what we saw, it’s just unfortunate that the outing was cut short.”

The Rockies took advantage of Ponce’s early exit, beating Toronto 14-5. 

Relievers Louis Varland, Spencer Miles, Brendon Little and Tyler Rogers as well as backup catcher Tyler Heineman followed Ponce to the mound. Varland (0-1) took the loss, giving up a run in his 1 1/3 innings.

If Ponce is out for an extended period of time it will create serious depth issues for the Blue Jays’ rotation. 

Fellow starters Shane Bieber (forearm fatigue), Jose Berrios (stress fracture, right elbow) and Trey Yesavage (right shoulder impingement) are all already on Toronto’s injured list.

“Going back, like a month-and-a-half ago, you talk about our starting depth, and you can never have enough,” said Schneider. “You never know what you’re going to face and there’s always going to be challenges that you think you’re ready for and then something else pops up. 

“But again, right now, just kind of focused on Cody and hoping that he’s all right.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.