If there was a comeback story to bet on in 2026, it was with the Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Cody Ponce . Ponce hadn't thrown a pitch in the Majors in nearly half a decade after a disastrous outing in 2021, but everyone is going to have to wait to see Ponce pitch.
In Ponce's return to MLB, he suffered a season-ending injury after spraining his ACL. The official word is out, and he will have to undergo surgery, which will likely keep him out of the game at least six months, which essentially ends his regular season.
The way the Jays are performing right now , the ballclub might miss the postseason entirely.
After the end of the World Series which ended in heartbreak for the Blue Jays , the front office did everything in their power to bolster their pitching staff, specifically the starting rotation, which is why they came to terms with Ponce.
Ponce signed a three-year $30 million-dollar deal which was already deemed a gamble after his 2021 7.04 ERA. But he fought his way back after pitching in Japan for three seasons and then went on to win the KBO MVP in Korea in 2025 after breaking a multitude of records.
However, his injury now means that Toronto is going to eat 10 of that 30 million since he was only able to make one start. There was hope that maybe he would come back by the end of the summer, but that dream has been crushed.
The Blue Jays have to find a way to win games while the rest of the team gets healthy because they can no longer count on Ponce's return. Hopefully, he is the only one that won't return to pitch in the rotation this year, or the front office is going to have to make some big moves early on.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios (17) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It is becoming nearly unfathomable the number of injuries that Toronto is already dealing with this early in the season, specifically to key players.
Starting Pitcher Shane Bieber (injured list)
Starting Pitcher Jose Berrios (injured list)
Starting Pitcher Trey Yesavage (injured list)
Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer (day to day)
Catcher Alejandro Kirk (injured list)
Outfielder Addison Barger (injured list)
Outfielder Anthony Santander (injured list)
The Blue Jays are currently in a rematch with the reigning world champs, and to say they are short-staffed would be the understatement of the year. Without Ponce coming back and the rotation clearly lacking, it is going to be a rough road ahead, but the losses they are facing early on cannot be the loss of this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Blue Jays' $30 Million-Dollar Gamble on Cody Ponce Ends with Injury .
