Ponce carted off field with knee injury in Blue Jays debut
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Cody Ponce was carted off the field with an injury in the third inning of his team debut Monday.
Ponce was diagnosed with right knee discomfort, the team later announced.
Following the Blue Jays' 14-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies, manager John Schneider said Ponce was in the process of undergoing an MRI to determine the full extent of his injury.
"(He) kinda felt it hyperextend a little bit. That's what he told me on the field," Schneider said, per reporter Lindsay Dunn. "(We) gotta wait for MRI results. Hoping for the best. It sucks - his first outing and his journey, what he's been through. So, hopefully it's the best news possible tomorrow."
The 31-year-old fell to the ground while trying to field a grounder off the bat of Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy and was immediately attended to by a trainer.
Cody Ponce exits the game after appearing to tweak his leg. pic.twitter.com/fwgH9LO0m9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 30, 2026
Louis Varland replaced Ponce, who allowed one hit and one earned run with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.
Ponce was making his first MLB appearance since 2021. He signed a three-year, $30-million contract in December after putting together an MVP season in Korea last year.
The Blue Jays' starting rotation is already without injured pitchers José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage.