Cody Ponce's injury leaves the Blue Jays with an all-too-obvious replacement

The Toronto Blue Jays earned a bounce-back win against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, but they'd likely trade that win in for a healthy Cody Ponce. In his Blue Jays debut (and his return to MLB after not pitching at that level since 2021), Ponce looked awfully sharp through two innings. But with one out in the third, he suffered what looked to be a major injury after falling down while attempting to chase down a ground ball and eventually had to be carted off the field.

Now, the official diagnosis isn't quite as bad as feared: Ponce didn't tear anything. Still, he suffered a right ACL sprain, and based on how consult in Los Angeles goes, he could opt to undergo surgery. He's going to be out for several months at the very least, which is brutal news for Toronto. All of a sudden, their bullpen concerns are pushed aside. An already existing rotation issue is now a five-alarm fire.

Cody Ponce's injury leaves Blue Jays rotation incredibly shorthanded

When the Jays signed Ponce to a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, it was fair to wonder whether he'd even be in the team's Opening Day rotation. The righty was going to make starts for the Toronto at some point, sure, but they seemingly had so much depth that they could afford to use him in a variety of roles to start the year. That didn't turn out to be the case.

Injuries put Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage on the IL to start the season, and suddenly thrust Ponce into as the No. 4 starter slot. Now, Ponce joins that star-studded trio (and Bowden Francis) on the shelf, and the Jays are forced to dig deeper into their depth. Unfortunately, their internal options leave a lot to be desired.

Lazaro Estrada is the only pitcher of the options listed by manager John Schneider who has even appeared in a big-league game, and he's allowed seven runs in 7.1 innings of work across two outings — both of which have come in relief. Adam Macko pitched well in the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada, and both CJ Van Eyk and Chad Dallas have ample Triple-A experience, but the lack of reliable MLB-caliber options is pretty jarring.

Berrios, Yesavage and Bieber should be back before too long, but there's no time to waste. The Blue Jays won the AL East in 2025 by virtue of a tiebreaker, and the division projects to be even better this season. They should look externally to add even more rotation depth.

Blue Jays must look externally to fill Cody Ponce void

Making trades this time of year is admittedly very difficult. All 30 teams are still alive in postseason races, and better trade offers almost always come in June or July, closer to the trade deadline. Free agency, though, is an option, and there are some decent targets for the Jays to consider.

Lucas Giolito

Easily the most appealing free agent left is Lucas Giolito, who Jays fans know well given the fact that he spent the 2025 season in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox. Giolito was an instrumental piece for Boston, posting a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts and 145 innings of work.

His advanced metrics weren't nearly as good as the ERA would indicate, but the Jays don't need him to be a savior of any sort. Ensuring they have a reliable back-end arm who can soak up some innings is what's most important, and Giolito, even at his worst, can do just that.

Patrick Corbin

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.

Tyler Anderson

Tyler Anderson's three-year Los Angeles Angels stint brought more downs than ups, but he was an All-Star in 2024 and made at least 25 starts in each of his three years in Anaheim. He's reliable when it comes to taking the ball every fifth day, and with an improved team (and defense) behind him, there's reason to believe the results can be better than they were in 2025.

Anderson didn't excel in a lot of areas, but he did rank in the 80th percentile in hard-hit rate in 2025. Forcing soft contact with an elite defensive team behind him can lead to success. This is a flier worth taking given the position Toronto is currently in.

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