Toronto Blue Jays announce injury updates on Cody Ponce, Yimi Garcia, Shane Bieber
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The Toronto Blue Jays have shared several updates regarding injured pitchers Cody Ponce, Yimi García, and Shane Bieber.
According to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Cody Ponce underwent surgery on Friday to repair the ACL in his right knee.
Manager John Schneider remains cautiously optimistic, noting there’s still “a one percent chance he pulls off a miracle,” but expects Ponce to be ready for Spring Training in 2027.
Cody Ponce underwent knee surgery today, and while John Schneider is still holding out “the 1% chance that he pulls off a miracle”, he says that Ponce will be ready for 2027 Spring Training. #BlueJays
Ponce originally injured his ACL in late March. The severity of the sprain ultimately required season-ending surgery, though the expectation is that he will be fully recovered in time for the start of the 2027 season.
The injury occurred during Ponce’s regular-season debut with Toronto, shortly after he signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the club on December 10.
Prior to joining the Blue Jays, Ponce spent four seasons pitching overseas in Japan and South Korea. He was dominant in 2025 with Hanwha, posting a 17–1 record across 29 starts, along with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts.
His outing against the Colorado Rockies on March 30, when the injury occurred, marked his first MLB appearance since 2021, when he last pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Yimi Garcia progressing, Shane Bieber throwing
Meanwhile, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports that Yimi Garcia threw another bullpen session Friday at the Blue Jays’ complex in Dunedin.
His fastball has reached 95 mph, and he is targeting a return to facing live hitters by the middle to latter part of next week.
Zwelling also noted that Shane Bieber completed a bullpen session the same day.
Yimi Garcia threw another bullpen on Friday at Blue Jays complex in Dunedin; he’s been up to 95. Garcia’s aiming to face live hitters by mid-to-late next week. Shane Bieber also threw a bullpen today.
During the Blue Jays’ postseason run, the team’s circle of trust in high-leverage bullpen situations had narrowed significantly by the end.
Manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker leaned heavily on a small group that included Louis Varland, Jeff Hoffman, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher.
Getting García back into the mix, along with offseason addition Tyler Rogers, would give Toronto much-needed depth in late-inning situations.
Reliable bullpen arms are essential over the course of a long season, and García’s presence offers another trusted option to help close out games in high-pressure moments.
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