Blue Jays Get Concerning Cody Ponce Injury Update With Season Underway
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The Toronto Blue Jays opened 2026 as one of the American League's most talked-about teams, coming off a World Series run and a loaded offseason. One of those big additions is now in serious doubt just days into the new season.
According to a post by reporter Hazel Mae on X, Cody Ponce will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopedic surgeon, in Los Angeles. Manager John Schneider confirmed that surgery is on the table, pending an in-person evaluation.
"He's (ElAttrache) reviewed all the MRI's.. I think to see him (Ponce) in person.. get his hands on him, and decide what route to take. Surgery is on the table." said John Schneider.
Injury Update:
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) April 1, 2026
Cody Ponce will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache (orthopedic surgeon) on Monday in LA.
“He’s (Elattrache) reviewed all the MRI’s.. I think to see him (Ponce) in person.. get his hands on him, and decide what route to take. Surgery is on the table.”
- John Schneider
Ponce hurt his right knee in the third inning of his start against the Colorado Rockies on March 30 at Rogers Centre. While chasing a soft ground ball off the bat of Jake McCarthy, he lunged and immediately went down.
The Blue Jays confirmed a right ACL sprain and placed him on the injured list. Right-hander Lazaro Estrada was called up to fill his roster spot.
Blue Jays Rotation Takes Another Hit Before April
The timing could not be worse for Toronto. The Blue Jays' rotation depth had already been stretched thin entering the season, with Trey Yesavage on the IL with a shoulder impingement, Jose Berrios dealing with an elbow fracture, Shane Bieber nursing elbow issues, and Bowden Francis out for the year after Tommy John surgery.
Ponce was supposed to be a key piece of that rotation after a brilliant 2025 in South Korea, where he posted a 1.89 ERA with 252 strikeouts in the KBO. That performance convinced Toronto to hand him a three-year, $30 million contract this past offseason as part of a broad effort to build one of the best rotations in baseball.
It was a feel-good story in the making, too. Ponce spent four years pitching overseas, reinventing himself after struggling in two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was emotional on the cart leaving the field, but still waved to the Rogers Centre crowd as he was taken off.
The Blue Jays sit at 4-1 on the season despite the 14-5 loss to Colorado, in which Ponce was hurt. His 2026 season may be over before it truly began, and with a rotation already running thin, Toronto now needs answers from ElAttrache's evaluation before they can figure out what comes next.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. His current focus is MLB coverage spanning the Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Marlins, Tigers, and Rockies, with additional expertise in basketball and college football.