Blue Jays Seek Veteran Starter After Ponce Injury

Toronto looking to add experienced arm to rotation after losing Cody Ponce for significant time

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:42pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher's motion, with sharp planes of navy blue, royal blue, and white representing the dynamic action of the sport.A cubist interpretation of a Blue Jays pitcher's delivery captures the team's need to find a new rotation anchor after Cody Ponce's injury.Los Angeles Today

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the market for a new starting pitcher after right-hander Cody Ponce suffered a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury that will sideline him for 'significant time.' One potential target is veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin, who had a bounce-back season with the Texas Rangers in 2025 and could provide stability in the back end of the Jays' rotation.

Why it matters

The Blue Jays are looking to build on their World Series appearance last season, but the loss of Ponce is a significant blow to their pitching depth. Adding an experienced starter like Corbin could help offset that loss and keep Toronto in contention in the tough American League East.

The details

Ponce's injury, which occurred earlier this week, will force the Blue Jays to search for a replacement in the rotation. While he has avoided a full tear of the ACL, Ponce is still expected to miss 'significant time' according to manager John Schneider. The team is now eyeing Corbin as a potential addition, with the veteran lefty coming off a solid 2025 campaign in which he posted a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) and 155.1 innings for the Rangers.

  • Ponce suffered the knee injury earlier this week.
  • Corbin pitched for the Rangers in 2025.

The players

Cody Ponce

A right-handed starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who suffered a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury that will sideline him for 'significant time.'

Patrick Corbin

A veteran left-handed starting pitcher who is being targeted by the Blue Jays as a potential replacement for the injured Ponce. Corbin had a bounce-back season with the Texas Rangers in 2025, posting a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) and 155.1 innings.

John Schneider

The manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

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What they’re saying

“Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided an update on right-hander Cody Ponce, who departed yesterday's game with an injury. Ponce has a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He has avoided a full tear and it's still to be determined whether surgery will be necessary. Even if he does avoid surgery, he will miss 'significant time' regardless, though the Jays are holding out hope he can pitch later in the year.”

— Darragh McDonald, MLB Trade Rumors writer

“Patrick Corbin was one of the worst pitchers in the league for a prolonged stretch, but pitched fairly well with the Texas Rangers in 2025, posting a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) and 155.1 innings. He isn't near the All-Star he once was, but again, Toronto doesn't need that. Is Corbin an upgrade over the likes of Estrada and Macko? Probably, and that's what matters. The Jays need MLB-caliber arms, and while there isn't much upside to dream of, Corbin is a perfectly fine No. 5 starter at this stage of his career.”

— Zachary Rotman, FanSided writer

What’s next

The Blue Jays will need to determine if Ponce requires surgery and how long he will be sidelined. In the meantime, they will continue to explore options to add a veteran starter like Corbin to their rotation.

The takeaway

The loss of Ponce is a significant blow to the Blue Jays' pitching depth, but the team is proactively looking to add an experienced arm like Corbin to help stabilize the rotation and keep them in contention in the AL East.