Cody Ponce left his first begin on a cart with a coach.
Ponce collapsed in appreciable ache Monday after making a clumsy try and area a grounder within the third inning towards the Rockies. He appeared to twist his proper knee in a path it’s not meant to go. He stood and limped to the cart on his personal earlier than exiting. Blue Jays’ supervisor John Schneider stated after the sport that Ponce will get an MRI.
The harm is an unlucky setback for Ponce, who was making his first begin within the majors since 2021. He was maybe essentially the most anticipated in a quartet of free agent pitchers who signed out of the KBO or NPB this winter. I’d already deliberate to put in writing about every of them, main with Ponce for the explanations he displayed earlier than the harm. And whereas I don’t wish to overreact to at least one begin, I feel there are attention-grabbing takeaways from every that would inform the form of their respective seasons to return.
The potential was apparent on Monday as Ponce dominated the Rockies’ lineup for two.1 innings. He displayed a vertical, up-and-down arsenal, not too dissimilar to what he’d thrown within the huge leagues earlier than, however now with upper-90s warmth. His four-seam fastball was a formidable 95.9 mph, practically three full ticks larger than his final begin within the majors, and featured a little bit of late fade. He additionally threw a pleasant trying kick-change, and a giant, flexible curveball, principally to lefties. He generated 15 whiffs on 29 swings, the fourth-highest price amongst beginning pitchers within the season’s early going. That included eight whiffs on 10 swings towards his slider (typically labeled a cutter), which was his major pitch to righties. The pitch doesn’t have plenty of motion, but it surely has some late, sharp chunk that appeared to idiot the Rockies.
Ponce was drafted by the Brewers in 2015 out of Division II Cal Poly Ponoma. He by no means actually settled into a task, splitting time as a starter and lengthy reliever earlier than getting shipped to Pittsburgh in 2019. He made a handful of appearances for the Pirates — sufficient to exhaust his rookie eligibility — however posted sub-replacement degree numbers. Forward of the 2022 season, he left for Japan, the place the middling efficiency continued for 3 years.
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It was when Ponce joined the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles in 2025 that issues began to show round. His conditioning improved, serving to him add two ticks to his fastball, and he all of the sudden appeared able to dominating lineups deep into video games. He doubled his strikeout price to 36.2% final season whereas sustaining a 5.9% stroll price. The end result was a 1.89 ERA and a pair of.15 FIP throughout 180.2 innings. The Blue Jays have been impressed and gave him a three-year, $30 million deal this winter.
What’s subsequent is unclear. The accidents proceed to mount within the Blue Jays rotation, with Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Shane Bieber already on the injured checklist. Every are within the “throwing from numerous places” levels of return. The workforce reportedly recalled Lazaro Estrada after the sport, although he may very well be as much as assist cushion the bullpen, which coated practically seven innings Monday. Adam Macko may additionally make a begins if Ponce wants IL time earlier than Yesavage returns.
I don’t actually know what else to say. The harm is unlucky. There are few profession arcs extra admirable than the participant who toils within the minors for years, goes abroad when his alternatives dry up, and returns with a brand new perspective (and infrequently an improved repertoire), discovering relevance the place he was as soon as an afterthought. Baseball’s meritocracy is a part of its allure, and tales like Ponce’s are a pleasant reminder that stick-to-itiveness can typically prevail. Sadly, it’s additionally a reminder that there are all the time extra hurdles to clear.
Tatsuya Imai
Tatsuya Imai was chased within the third inning Sunday, however he flashed the attention-grabbing stuff that made him a prime title in free company.
Imai was the Seibu Lion’s first spherical select of highschool in 2016. He struggled with command early in his profession however appeared to enhance a bit annually. By 2025, he was probably the greatest pitchers in Japan, posting a 20.7% Okay-BB% and a pair of.01 FIP in 24 begins. The Astros signed him this winter for $54 million over three years, which was lower than many anticipated. The deal additionally included opt-outs after every season, suggesting a spot between how the Astros seen the right-hander and the way Imai seen himself. It was a prove-it deal, principally.
So did he show something in his first begin on Sunday? Properly, not likely. He struck out 4, walked 4, gave up 4 runs, and was faraway from the sport within the third inning.
The very first thing that stands proud about Imai is his athleticism. He has a easy, fluid, one-step wind up, after which whips his arm throughout his physique out of a low slot. Pitching appears very pure to him. He principally threw a four-seam fastball (50%) and slider (36%), mixing in a number of splitters and cutters to lefties. His fastball averaged 95.6 mph and picked up a number of known as strikes on the prime of the zone, together with his first huge league strikeout, which got here towards Mike Trout.
The slider was… bizarre. I can at the very least see why there might need been some grasp ups in free company. It’s a a lot slower pitch, with a velocity hole like that of a sweeper. However moderately than huge, large motion, it spins and spins after which folds over itself out of the underside of the zone. In truth, Imai’s slider shows the least horizontal motion of any thrown at the very least 10 occasions this yr. Stuff+ graded it at 85 (100 is common), the fourth worst amongst starters to this point. PitchingBot graded it as a 44 (on the 20-80 scale), nearer to the center of the pack. And StuffPro at Baseball Prospectus had it at -0.4, tied for the Tenth-best slider amongst beginning pitchers to this point.
Bizarre or not, the pitch was efficient Sunday, producing 5 whiffs on 12 swings (41.7%), which roughly matches Imai’s price in Japan. It actually doesn’t look conventional, and the fashions don’t know what to make of it, however hey, that doesn’t imply it may well’t be good:
Imai struggled to seek out the zone on Sunday, selecting across the edges and working his pitch rely up. This was one other concern for him in free company. He instructed reporters after the sport that he was nervous, which is what supervisor Joe Espada attributed his struggles with command to.
Anthony Kay
Anthony Kay received his first begin Sunday towards the Brewers and displayed good velocity throughout 5 shapely pitches. However the points with command that plagued his first try on the majors — those he appeared to repair final yr in NPB — returned in his first outing.
The Mets drafted Kay out of highschool in 2013 after which once more out of UConn within the first spherical in 2016. He was finally shipped to Toronto in 2019 within the deal for Marcus Stroman. He by no means fairly settled into a task, bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, and between Triple-A and the majors. He flashed strong strikeout totals and the flexibility to restrict onerous contact, however he had a bent to tiptoe across the zone and supplied up too many free passes. By 2023, he was waiver fodder, and opted to attempt his luck abroad as an alternative.
Kay’s method was largely the identical in his first yr in Japan, as James Fegan reported for Sox Machine. He continued to nibble on the zone and struggled to complete off batters. In 2025, nonetheless, he modified his mindset and attacked extra aggressively, decreasing his stroll price whereas persevering with to restrict onerous contact. He selected the White Sox this winter on a two-year, $12 million deal as a result of he admired their success with Erick Fedde in 2024.
However in his first begin, Kay didn’t appear like the extra aggressive, extra correct model of himself from Japan. He struggled to seek out the zone, throwing 40 pitches within the chase and waste areas — the second-highest price amongst beginning pitchers to this point. He regularly labored from behind, and issued 4 walks earlier than ending his day within the fourth inning at 92 pitches.
Nonetheless, his stuff was spectacular, and it’s clear why groups wished him again stateside. He blended all 5 of his pitches, with a fastball-heavy method to lefties and extra breaking balls to righties. His four-seamer averaged 96.1 mph, touchdown him within the prime 25% of hardest-throwing beginning pitchers to this point in 2026. The sinker was much more spectacular in form, with sharp arm-side chunk that the stuff fashions liked. He additionally displayed a tough, tight slider (maybe a cutter) at 90.5 mph, after which a slower, wider sweeper.
The changeup impressed essentially the most, exhibiting large vertical depth and producing three whiffs on 5 swings.
Sadly, Kay struggled to find his changeup, similar to he struggled to find his different pitches, and the Brewers have been usually content material to put off. Once more, Kay’s standing within the majors has by no means been about stuff however moderately his means to throw it within the zone. If he can discover his command from final yr, he needs to be a greater than serviceable huge league starter.
Foster Griffin
Foster Griffin may pretty be thought of the least heralded of this group (he at the very least signed for the smallest assure), however he actually didn’t pitch that means Monday towards the Phillies.
Griffin was drafted by the Royals within the first spherical means, means again in 2014, that means 2026 is his thirteenth season as knowledgeable baseball participant. He toiled for years within the minors (and briefly within the majors), missing the stuff to overlook bats or the pinpoint management to restrict walks. He was a pitchability lefty who by no means developed any plus instruments. By 2023, it was clear his progress had stalled, and he selected to offer it a go abroad, the place he rapidly grew to become probably the greatest pitchers in Japan. He was doing all of the issues he may by no means do within the minors: lacking bats, limiting walks, and in any other case stringing collectively wonderful outings.
What modified? It’s not fairly clear, and whether or not it’s going to translate to lasting success within the majors is even much less so. However in his first begin of 2026, Griffin confirmed why the Nationals have been prepared to take an opportunity on his nascent success. He threw seven completely different pitches: cutter, four-seam, sweeper, changeup, splitter, sinker, curveball. None of them moved significantly quick, and none of them picked up many whiffs. However he blended them evenly and successfully, and the Phillies by no means appeared to know when and the place to swing. Stuff+ liked his arsenal, giving him a mean grade of 110 throughout his pitches, although the opposite fashions have been extra reserved.
The kitchen-sink method labored nicely on Monday. Griffin struck out 5 with out issuing a stroll, and solely ran right into a little bit of bother in his closing flip by the order within the fifth inning. He pitches from a reasonably steep, downward angle and was capable of find on the prime of the zone, producing a bunch of weak fly outs. After all, he additionally generated fairly a number of well-hit fly outs that may have spelled bother on a special day. However Griffin is clearly a step above his former self, capable of idiot a proficient lineup two or 3 times in an outing. It’s a growth to watch going ahead.