Cody Ponce Sprains ACL in First Blue Jays Start

[Leo Morgenstern]

Update (Tuesday, March 31): Ponce has been diagnosed with a right ACL sprain, the team told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson). It’s not yet clear if it’s a full or partial tear, but the righty will miss a good chunk of time either way. It’s possible his season is already over, though manager John Schneider isn’t giving up hope for Ponce’s 2026 campaign quite yet.
 

Monday, March 30: Cody Ponce had to be carted off the field on Monday night. The right-hander was less than three innings into his Blue Jays debut when he hurt his leg fielding an infield groundball. He fell to the ground and needed a medical cart to exit the field.

Before he left, Ponce struck out three Rockies batters and generated 15 swings and misses. He averaged 95.9 mph on his four-seam fastball, topping out at 97.1 mph. His slider was his best weapon, earning eight whiffs on 10 swings. 

For now, the injury has been labelled right knee discomfort. While the Blue Jays likely won't have a more meaningful update until Ponce can go for imaging, an IL stint seems more than possible. Four of Toronto's starters – Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, José Berríos, and Bowden Francis – are already on the injured list. The next man up could be Adam Macko or Lazaro Estrada for a spot start, though the Jays can get by without a fifth starter until April 8.

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