"Knee injury" Ponce will finally undergo surgery, but "decided after reviewing various opinions" → As it turns out, his in-person brother-in-law is also rehabilitating

*This content was translated by AI.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Cody Ponce (32), a former KBO League Hanwha Eagles, was injured in his first major league return in five years, forcing him to miss a long time. To make matters worse, Ponce's "wife-in-law" George Kittle, who visited the stadium to support him, is also reportedly rehabilitating from an Achilles tendon injury, adding to the regret.

Ponce started the home game against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 31 (Korea time), but came down the mound with a right knee injury. In the top of the third inning, with one out and third base, Jake McCarty's knee was bent in the process of handling a ground ball. Ponce, who was complaining of severe pain, got up on his own, but eventually got out of the stadium on a cart.

Ponce's diagnosis so far revealed by Toronto is a sprained right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The club put Ponce on the 15-day injured list (IL) and is waiting for the results of a detailed examination.

According to the Major League's official website MLB.com , Toronto manager John Schneider told reporters ahead of the Colorado match on the 1st, "Medical staff are reviewing the MRI results and checking for rupture," adding, "We cannot rule out the possibility of surgery." Regarding the possibility of returning within the 2026 season, he was cautious, saying, "I'm not giving up hope, but we have to watch the situation." Given various circumstances, it does not appear to be a minor injury.

The injury is more painful because it was a return stage to MLB that Ponce struggled to win through the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) and the KBO League. In particular, George Kittle (33), the younger brother of Ponce's wife Emma Ponce and star of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, visited the stadium to cheer for his brother-in-law.

Kittle also suffered a serious Achilles tendon rupture during a playoff game in January and is currently rehabilitating. Director Schneider introduced the story and said, "Ponce is trying to maintain his composure with his brother-in-law, Kittle." Ponce is known to be especially close to his brother-in-law, who said he regained his enjoyment of baseball by watching Kittle's passionate play.

Due to Ponce's departure, Toronto's starting rotation is truly "wind and rain." Starting resources Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, and Treye Yesa Father are already on the injured list. Berrios and Yesa Dad are set to return in a few weeks, but Ponce's gap looks quite large.

Toronto plans to fill the gap by mobilizing all alternative resources such as Lazaro Estrada, who was called up from Triple-A, Adam Mako, CJ Van Ake, and Chad Dallas.

Ponce's final diagnosis and surgery, which signed a three-year, $30 million (about 45.3 billion won) contract with Toronto while honing a new pitch called "kick change-up" with increased constraints in Japan and South Korea, will be announced as early as the last match of the series against Colorado on the 2nd.

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*This content was translated by AI.