Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Evaluated Monday for ACL surgery
Rotowire
Ponce will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday to determine whether he needs surgery to repair a sprained right ACL, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Ponce suffered the injury during his first start of the season Monday against the Rockies. He will have an outside chance to return later this season if surgery is not required, but if he does need an operation, he'll be shelved until 2027. In either scenario, Ponce appears safe to drop in most redraft fantasy leagues.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Officially placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Blue Jays placed Ponce (knee) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
Ponce's absence is expected to be much longer than the minimum 15 days, as manager John Schneider said earlier Tuesday that the right-hander will miss "significant time" with a sprained right ACL that he suffered in Monday's start against the Rockies. In a corresponding move, Toronto recalled Lazaro Estrada from Triple-A. The Blue Jays will need to continue to piece their rotation together until some of their starters get healthy.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Set to miss extended time
Rotowire
Ponce (knee) has been diagnosed with a sprained right ACL and is expected to miss "significant time," Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
The Blue Jays remain optimistic that Ponce can pitch again this season, but manager John Schneider said doctors will continue to review Ponce's MRI and determine if surgery is needed. It's a brutal blow for Ponce, who inked a three-year, $30 million deal with Toronto this past offseason after spending three seasons overseas. Ponce's injury also further tests the pitching depth of the Blue Jays, who are already dealing with injuries to Jose Berrios (elbow), Shane Bieber (elbow) and Trey Yesavage (shoulder) in the rotation. Ponce is likely to be shut down for quite some time.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Headed for MRI
Rotowire
Ponce (knee) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Ponce told manager John Schneider that he felt his knee hyperextend while attempting to field a dribbler during the third inning of Monday's start against the Rockies. The team won't know the extent of the injury until his imaging is reviewed.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Diagnosed with knee discomfort
Rotowire
Ponce was removed from Monday's start against Colorado due to right knee discomfort, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Ponce is likely headed for further testing to determine the full extent of his injury suffering during the third inning of Monday's appearance, but the initial diagnosis from the team is knee discomfort. The Blue Jays should have more information to share on the severity of Ponce's injury shortly.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Carted off field Monday
Rotowire
Ponce was carted off the field during the third inning of Monday's game against the Rockies due to an apparent right leg injury, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Ponce collapsed to the ground in visible pain after injuring his right leg while attempting to field a dribbling ground ball. The injury was severe enough for him that the medical cart was brought out, and he'll end his outing having allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out three across 2.1 innings. Monday was Ponce's first major-league start since 2021 after spending three years in Japan, and he earned a spot in the Blue Jays' rotation due to the trio of Shane Bieber (elbow), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all opening the season on the 15-day injured list. The Blue Jays should have an update on Ponce's injury once he undergoes more tests on his leg.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Blanks Yanks on Thursday
Rotowire
Ponce allowed one hit over 5.2 scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out five without walking a batter.
Facing a split-squad lineup of bench players and minor leaguers, Ponce fired 44 of 65 pitches for strikes while topping out at 96.3 mph with his four-seam fastball. The right-hander has a 0.66 ERA this spring over 13.2 innings with a 12:4 K:BB and zero homers allowed, and Ponce's importance to the Blue Jays' rotation has only grown since he was signed in December, with Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all set to open the season on the IL.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Getting stretched out
Rotowire
Ponce allowed one run on four hits over two innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He struck out two without walking a batter.
The right-hander built up to 32 pitches (18 strikes) against a Boston lineup that consisted of prospects and big-league depth players. Ponce has looked good so far this spring as he gets ready to pitch in MLB for the first time since 2021, posting a 4:0 K:BB through his first two appearances and three innings.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Perfect inning in spring debut
Rotowire
Ponce struck out two in a perfect inning during the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Tigers on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old right-hander fired 16 of 22 pitches for strikes in his spring debut, getting Parker Meadows to swing through a cutter before fooling top prospect Kevin McGonigle with the kick-change that helped him turn his career around overseas. Ponce won the KBO's MVP Award in 2025 with the Hanwha Eagles on the strength of a 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 252:41 K:BB over 180.2 innings, a performance that netted him a three-year, $30 million deal from Toronto this offseason. He's being counted on to fill a mid-rotation spot in his return to MLB, and the kick-change may give him more strikeout upside than projected against big-league hitters.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Returning to MLB
Rotowire
Ponce signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Ponce will return to Major League Baseball for the first time since 2021 after playing three seasons in Japan, followed by one year in Korea. He was dominant this past season in the KBO, turning in a 1.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 180.2 innings and taking home the league's MVP award. He'll now join a Blue Jays squad that is putting a clear emphasis on adding rotation talent after also signing Dylan Cease earlier in the offseason.
... See More... See Less
Cody Ponce: Heads to KBO
Rotowire
Ponce signed with the Hanwha Eagles on Thursday, Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net reports.
Ponce has pitched in Japan for the last three seasons, working exclusively out of the bullpen. He should be projected to maintain a similar role with the Eagles.
... See More... See Less
Cody Ponce: Remaining in Japan
Rotowire
Ponce has signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Yahoo Japan reports.
Ponce had spent the previous two seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, collecting a 3.70 ERA and 135:45 K:BB across 172.2 frames. The 29-year-old last appeared in the majors in 2021.
... See More... See Less
Cody Ponce: Bound for Japan
Rotowire
Ponce was released Tuesday to sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Ponce is still just 27 years old, so it's possible he has success overseas and returns stateside in a few years as a more interesting pitcher. He hasn't shown much thus far in 55.1 innings at the highest level, striking out a modest 19.6 percent of opposing batters en route to a 5.86 ERA.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Recalled by Pirates
Rotowire
Ponce was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
Ponce was sent down in mid-August, and he made four appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis since then. He posted a 1.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in eight innings during that time, and he'll be available as a low-leverage reliever with the major-league club.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Struggles in relief
Rotowire
Ponce (0-3) was tagged with the loss Tuesday against the Dodgers after allowing two runs on two hits and a walk while fanning two across two innings.
Ponce entered the contest in the fifth inning but wasn't effective, and as a result, he picked up his third loss of the campaign. The right-hander has given up runs in all but two of his outings this season and has allowed at least two runs in three of his last four appearances. Those struggles translate to a ballooned 8.34 ERA across 22.2 innings on the year.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Recalled from minors
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Ponce from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The righty has appeared in three minor-league games since being optioned July 4, allowing six runs and striking out 11 batters in 13 innings. He most recently pitched six innings July 22, so he could be a candidate to start Tuesday's game for the Pirates after Tyler Anderson was scratched.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Sent to minors
Rotowire
Ponce (arm) was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
The right-hander was tagged for five runs over 1.2 innings during Saturday's start before being pulled with arm soreness, but it's apparently a minor injury since he was sent to the minors rather than the injured list. Ponce has struggled in three big-league outings this season, surrendering 12 earned runs on 21 hits across 9.2 frames.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Dealing with arm soreness
Rotowire
Ponce was removed from Saturday's game against the Brewers due to right arm soreness, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
Ponce gave up five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three in 1.2 innings to take the loss against Milwaukee on Saturday, although the soreness in his throwing arm may have contributed to his struggles. It's not yet clear whether the 27-year-old will be forced to miss his next turn through the rotation due to the injury, but he tentatively lines up to start on the road against the Mets on Friday if he's healthy enough to pitch.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Exits with apparent injury
Rotowire
Ponce exited Saturday's game against the Brewers with an apparent injury in the top of the second inning, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Ponce was hit hard early in Saturday's start, as he allowed five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three in 1.2 innings. The team's trainers apparently saw something that prompted a visit, and the right-hander was removed from the game with two outs in the inning. The nature of his injury isn't yet clear, and whether he misses any additional time remains to be seen. If he's cleared to pitch, Ponce tentatively lines up to start Friday on the road against the Mets.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Cody Ponce: Confirmed as Saturday's starter
Rotowire
The Pirates confirmed that Ponce would start Saturday's game against the Brewers, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Ponce will be making his second start of 2021 against the organization that drafted him in 2015. The 27-year-old right-hander is stepping into the Pirates' six-man rotation as a replacement for rookie Max Kranick, who was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this week. Over 25 career big-league innings, Ponce has posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 10.6 K-BB%.
