Monday was supposed to be a monumental day for Cody Ponce.
After being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft, it wasn’t the ascent that he would have hoped for as a pitcher in the pros.
He struggled. Eventually, Ponce left the United States and headed over to Japan, hoping to revive his career there.
He struggled some more.
And with little to no options left, he moved to Korea to pitch in their professional league, hoping to find something that could change his career, as he had just turned 30.
This time, Ponce rediscovered himself on the Hanwha Eagles, winning not only the Choi Dong-won Award for best pitcher but also the league MVP.
After a dazzling season abroad, the Toronto Blue Jays signed the rejuvenated Ponce to a three-year, $30 million deal as one of their starting pitchers.
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And on Monday, he made his debut for the Blue Jays, back pitching in the MLB for the first time in five years.
But in the top of the third in a scoreless game, Ponce attempted to field a ground ball and suffered a non-contact injury, hopping for a few seconds in pain before rolling to the dirt.
Ponce needed to be carted off the field, cutting short what was supposed to be a crucial day in his professional career after fighting so hard to make it back to the MLB.
Before leaving, Ponce only gave up one hit during his two and one-third innings of work against the Colorado Rockies.
We will keep you updated once we know more about Ponce’s injury from Toronto.
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