Cody Ponce, who dominated the KBO to earn his hard-fought return to MLB, saw his comeback derailed in dramatic fashion during his first start of the season.
Pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday at Rogers Center against the Colorado Rockies, Ponce exited in the third inning after collapsing while attempting to field a ground ball with a runner on third. He clutched the back of his right leg in pain and had to be carted off the field.
MLB.com called it a “heartbreaking moment,” noting that Ponce had spent three seasons in Japan and one in Korea rebuilding himself as a pitcher to return to the majors. Last year in Korea, he threw 180.2 innings with a 1.89 ERA, 225 strikeouts and a record of 17-1, capturing the pitching Triple Crown and league MVP honors.
The defending American League champion Blue Jays fell 14-5 to Colorado, leaving fans hoping Ponce’s injury is not severe enough to stall the dramatic return he has worked so hard to write.
(Translated and edited with ChatGPT/The Korea Herald)
khnews@heraldcorp.com
