Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce was carted off the field March 30 after suffering a scary injury in the Jays\u2019 game against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre.<\/p>\n
MORE: Blue Jays cut 24-year-old infielder immediately before Opening Day: report<\/a><\/p>\n Ponce\u2019s heel appeared to get caught in the dirt on the mound while delivering a pitch to home plate. He tumbled head over heels down the mound, throwing the ball towards the plate to try to avoid a balk, but it was too late. <\/p>\n \nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/js9inningsmedia\/status\/2038765072688836646\n<\/p>\n Ponce stayed in the game after that mishap, only to get hurt running toward first base chasing after Jake McCarthy\u2019s ground ball to the right side of the infield.<\/p>\n The right knee injury left Ponce unable to walk off the field on his own power. He was taken off the field on a medical cart. <\/p>\n The team announced<\/a> Ponce left the game with \u201cright knee discomfort.\u201d Further tests are expected on Ponce\u2019s knee to determine the severity of his injury.<\/p>\n \u201cHe felt it hyperextended a little bit. That\u2019s what he told me on the field,\u201d Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters<\/a> after the game. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to wait for MRI results and we\u2019re hoping for the best. This sucks with it being his first outing and what he\u2019s been through. Hopefully, it\u2019s the best news possible tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a sudden, abrupt ending to Ponce\u2019s first game with his new team \u2014\u00a0and his first game on an MLB<\/a> mound since 2021.<\/p>\n The Blue Jays lured Ponce, 31, back to North America from Korea with a three-year, $30 million contract in December.<\/p>\n MORE: Traded Blue Jays outfielder who \u2018hated\u2019 Ross Atkins gets honest about GM<\/a><\/p>\n Ponce, a native of California, went 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA in 20 major league games with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020-21. He spent the 2022-24 seasons in Japan, and 2025 in the KBO. Last year he posted a 1.89 ERA with 252 strikeouts over 180.2 innings for the Hanwha Eagles.<\/p>\n Ponce\u2019s 2026 debut had the potential to be one of the great comeback stories in baseball. For now, his much-anticipated return to the big leagues appears short-lived.<\/p>\n MORE: Blue Jays lose pitcher to American League rival four days before Opening Day<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t want to speculate about Ponce but I\u2019ve been in sports a long time I know what that looked like,\u201d former Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar wrote on X. \u201cI\u2019m really hoping the best for him and that it isn\u2019t as serious as it looked. Waited a long time to be back in this position.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to speculate about Ponce but I\u2019ve been in sports a long time I know what that looked like. I\u2019m really hoping the best for him and that it isn\u2019t as serious as it looked. Waited a long time to be back in this position @BlueBirdTerr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4) March 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Blue Jays lost to the Rockies, 14-5.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t