Cody Ponce, the 32-year-old Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and former Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) Most Valuable Player, will undergo surgery, with recovery expected to take at least six months — effectively ending his 2025 season.
According to the Associated Press on Thursday (Korea time), Ponce will have surgery next week to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Ahead of the team's home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the same day, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Ponce's rehabilitation would take "at least six months." The timeline effectively rules him out for the season.
Ponce made his return to Major League Baseball on May 31 after a five-year absence, taking the mound as a starter against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. However, while fielding a ground ball during the third inning, he injured his right knee. Visibly in pain, Ponce was unable to continue pitching and was carted off the field.
Ponce was dominant in the KBO League last season. Pitching for the Hanwha Eagles, he led the team to the Korean Series and was named MVP after posting a 17-1 record with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts in the regular season. He then signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays. During spring training, Ponce made five starts, recording seven hits allowed, four walks, and 12 strikeouts over 13⅔ innings with a 0.66 ERA, earning the No. 4 spot in Toronto's rotation. But an unexpected injury in his first regular-season start now forces him to look ahead to next year.