Cody Ponce’s debut with the Blue Jays and first MLB start in five years ended in nightmare fashion.
The 31-year-old, who last pitched for the Pirates in 2021 and last started a game in May of that season.
Ponce suffered a leg injury running to field a bouncer between the mound and first base during the third inning of the Blue Jays’ game against the Rockies at Rogers Centre on Monday.
He stayed down on the ground, wincing in pain before being attended to by the team’s training staff after his right leg appeared to buckle as it landed stiffly. He briefly grabbed for the back of his knee.
Ponce was able to stand and walk toward a cart before being driven off the field. The former Brewers second-round pick in 2015 was noticeably emotional, blowing kisses and lifting his cap to the Canadian crowd.
He was part of a retooling of the defending American League champion’s pitching staff that included signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract and top reliever Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million deal.
Ponce pitched two scoreless innings for the undefeated Blue Jays before a run scored on the play he was injured on.
He has been fighting to get another shot in the majors after his disastrous 2021, which saw him go 0-6 with a 7.04 ERA, mostly out of the bullpen. Ponce spent three seasons in Japan before pitching in Korea in 2025.
It’s now unclear when he will be back on the mound for the Blue Jays.