New Blue Jays RHP Cody Ponce carted off in 3rd inning of debut, leaves with right knee discomfort

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto right-hander Cody Ponce had to be carted off the field in the third inning of his first big league appearance since 2021 after he injured his right knee while trying to make a play on a ground ball.

Ponce stumbled while chasing Jake McCarthy’s infield grounder and went down in the dirt behind first base. He was able to get to his feet but left on a cart, briefly covering his face with his cap. The Blue Jays said Ponce was removed because of right knee discomfort.

“He kind of felt it hyperextend a little bit, that’s what he told me on the field,” manager John Schneider said. “We’ve got to wait for the MRI results, hoping for the best.”

Colorado’s Kyle Karros scored from third on the play to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. The Rockies won 14-5 for their first victory of the season.

Earlier in the at bat against McCarthy, Ponce caught his foot on the mound and fell down without throwing a pitch.

“He assured us he was good,” Schneider said of Ponce’s reaction to the initial slip. “He was laughing.”

Ponce struck out three and walked one in 2 1/3 innings before exiting, allowing one run and one hit. Thirty of his 47 pitches were strikes.

“We liked what we saw,” Schneider said. “Just unfortunate that the outing was cut short.”

Louis Varland came on for Ponce, who signed a $30 million, three-year contract with the defending AL champion Blue Jays last December.

Ponce went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA for the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea last season, winning the league’s MVP and the pitching triple crown. Ponce was selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2015 amateur draft and was dealt to Pittsburgh for right-hander Jordan Lyles ahead of the 2019 trade deadline.

Ponce was 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA over five starts and 15 relief appearances for the Pirates in 2020 and ’21, then pitched in Japan for the Pacific League’s Nippon Ham Fighters (2022-23) and the Rakuten Golden Eagles (2024).

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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce throws to a Colorado Rockies batter in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce (66) throws to a Colorado Rockies batter in the first inning of interleague baseball game in Toronto, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves scored three runs in the first inning off a double from Matt Olson and a single from Mauricio Dubón in a 4-0 win over the Athletics on Monday night.

Mike Yastrzemski came in to relieve left fielder Eli White and hit a line drive triple to right field in the eighth inning. Dubón followed with a single to send him home.

Dubón, a two-time (2023, '25) Gold Glove-winning shortstop, came to the Braves in the offseason from a trade with the Astros.

Bryce Elder (1-0) pitched six innings and gave up five hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers both went 0 for 4 for the Athletics. Brent Rooker went 2 for 4, but grounded to Dubón to start a double play that ended the eighth inning.

In the ninth, Jacob Wilson was thrown out at second on a ground ball by Lawrence Butler, who was originally ruled safe at first. The call was challenged and then overturned, resulting in a double play. Max Muncy hit an infield fly that Olson caught to end the game.

Jacob Lopez (0-1) pitched four innings for the A's. He gave up five hits, had five walks, three earned runs and no strikeouts.

Atlanta's Jose Suarez takes the mound against Aaron Civale as the series continues Tuesday.

Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón hits a two-RBI single in the first inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)