Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce was carted off the field after sustaining an apparent leg injury in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies on March 30, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto.[1][2]
The 31-year-old right-hander from Pomona, California, was fielding a bouncing ground ball between the pitcher's mound and first base when he took a bad step, hobbled several strides and fell to the infield dirt.[1][2]
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. waved for assistance from the Toronto dugout as Ponce remained down.[1][2] Medical staff attended to him before he was helped onto a cart. Ponce appeared emotional but tipped his cap to fans as he left the field.[1][2]
Ponce pitched 2.1 innings in the game, allowing one run and recording three strikeouts.[1][2] The Blue Jays lost 14-5.[1][2]
It marked Ponce's first major league appearance since 2021, when he made 15 outings (five starts) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, posting a 7.04 ERA over 38.1 innings.[3][4]
After his Pirates stint, Ponce signed with Japan's Hanshin Tigers and pitched for them in 2022, going 10-7 with a 2.53 ERA in 22 starts.[5][6] He later signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the 2023 season but did not appear in the majors, then joined the Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea's KBO League for the 2024 season.[5][6]
Rogers Centre has been the Blue Jays' home ballpark since the team joined Major League Baseball in 1977.[7]
No timeline has been provided for Ponce's return.[1][2]
Sources
- Fox News Digital
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce was carted off the field...
March 31, 2026
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/toronto-blue-jays-pitcher-cody-ponce-injury - The Canadian Press via AP
Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce injured vs. Rockies
March 30, 2026
https://www.thecanadianpress.com/news/2026/03/30/blue-jays-ponce-injury-rockies - Baseball-Reference.com
Cody Ponce Statistics
Accessed October 4, 2024
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/poncec01.shtml - MLB.com
Cody Ponce Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More
Accessed October 4, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/player/cody-ponce-666742 - Wikipedia
Cody Ponce
Accessed October 4, 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody_Ponce - Baseball-Reference.com (International)
Cody Ponce NPB & KBO Stats
Accessed October 4, 2024
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ponce-001cod - MLB.com
Rogers Centre Information
Accessed October 4, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/ballpark
