The State of the Blue Jays' Rotation Following Cody Ponce's Injury

[Michael Coyle]

On Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Cody Ponce has been diagnosed with a right ACL sprain and will miss a significant period of time. 

Ponce sustained the injury after trying to field a groundball off the bat of Jake McCarthy, which resulted in the 31-year-old’s knee buckling as he reached down to try to collect the ball. 

It is yet to be determined if Ponce suffered a full or partial tear, and he will meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache next week to see if he needs surgery. No matter what, Ponce isn’t expected to return to the field any time soon. The right-hander signed a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason after impressing during his time in Korea. Last season, Ponce was named MVP of the KBO after going 17-1 with an ERA of 1.89 and a WHIP of 0.93. 

While no injury news comes at a good time, the Ponce diagnosis further depleted an already undermanned rotation. Shane Bieber is dealing with forearm fatigue and is only progressing to throwing off a mound this weekend, José Berríos continues to work his way back from a stress fracture in his right elbow, and Trey Yesavage is going to throw in a simulated game on Friday after being diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement at the end of spring training. 

Of those three injured pitchers, Berríos feels like the safest bet to return first. The veteran is expected to face live batters on Saturday, and if all goes well, he could head out on a rehab assignment the following week. Berríos threw 63 pitches in his last spring outing before being shut down, so the 31-year-old may only need two or three rehab starts, which would put his timeline to return somewhere around the end of April. 

Yesavage didn’t appear in a game all spring and is expected to throw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Friday. If all goes well, the 22-year-old could work his way to a rehab assignment the following week. With a full ramp-up likely needed, Yesavage feels like an option when the calendar flips to May. 

Bieber remains the biggest question mark, considering he's dealing with forearm tightness. The 30-year-old is coming off a season in which he returned from Tommy John surgery, so the Blue Jays will be cautious with their 2025 trade deadline acquisition. Bieber is starting from almost zero, so it will be like the first day of spring training for the right-hander when he starts to pitch again. A return in late May or early June feels like the best course of action. 

Currently locked into the Blue Jays’ rotation are Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Eric Lauer and Max Scherzer, leaving one spot open and little depth to fill it. Toronto’s bullpen has already been taxed due to the Ponce injury and several close ballgames, so reinforcements need to come in a hurry. 

Lazaro Estrada was recalled after the Blue Jays placed Ponce on the 15-day injured list, giving the club an option for multiple innings out of their bullpen. Last season in Buffalo, Estrada made 20 starts with the Bisons. In 26 appearances, the right-hander saw mixed results. He went 4-7 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He also gave up seven runs on 10 hits in 7.1 big league innings.

Adam Macko could be a dark horse to get a look for Toronto, but both of his outings this season with the Bisons have come in relief. The left-hander has pitched in 3 ⅓ innings, allowing no runs and two hits and striking out four. 

Chase Lee, who was acquired this offseason from the Detroit Tigers, could be called up to join the bullpen with the ability to provide some length. Last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 MLB games, pitching 37 ⅓ innings while posting a 4-1 record with an ERA of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.10. He has thrown two innings in each of his Triple-A appearances so far in 2026.

Yariel Rodríguez remains a name to consider, but after being waived this offseason and sent to the minor leagues, the right-hander has gotten off to a slow start. In two appearances, spanning 2 ⅔ innings, the 29-year-old has allowed two runs on two hits and three walks, flashing some of the control issues that flared up at the end of last season. 

One aspect working in the Blue Jays’ favour in April is the four off days in their schedule. The team won’t play on April 2, 9, 13, and 23, leaving the door open for them to largely rely on the four true starters they currently have. That being said, the Blue Jays will still have to be cautious with all four of those pitchers, given the 156 games that lie ahead. This is a team that has become in need of arms in a hurry. 

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