Some Canadian baseball fans have left hateful comments aimed at Cody Ponce (Toronto Blue Jays), who is heading to the operating table after an unexpected injury, drawing ire.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, and multiple outlets including Canada's 'Yahoo Sports' all reported Ponce's upcoming surgery on the 8th (Korean time). Ponce, who suffered a right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, is scheduled to undergo surgery next week, and about six months of long-term rehabilitation is expected. It is effectively a season-ending diagnosis.
Ponce started on the mound in the home game against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the 31st of last month and left with an injury after 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit, one walk, striking out three and giving up one run.
In the top of the third inning with the score 0-0 and one out with a runner on third, Ponce chased a ball hit by Jake McCarthy that rolled ambiguously between the pitcher and first baseman, lost his balance and fell, complaining of significant pain in his right knee. Ponce was able to get up on his own but was ruled unable to continue and was taken off the field on a cart that came onto the turf. MRI examination diagnosed a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament, and after long consideration he decided to have surgery.
Ponce last year, for a total of $1 million, wore the Hanwha Eagles uniform and emerged as the top foreign pitcher in the KBO League. He posted dominant pitching with 29 appearances, 17 wins and 1 loss, a 1.89 earned run average (180 2/3 innings, 38 earned runs), WHIP of 0.94 and a batting average against of .199, finishing first in wins, earned run average and strikeouts (252), and winning percentage (.944), earning him four pitching titles. The KBO regular-season MVP and the pitcher golden glove were Ponce's honors.
On the strength of that, he fulfilled his dream of returning to the big leagues by signing a three-year, $30 million contract with Toronto, but the American dream was shattered after just one game.
On top of the hardship of the surgery, Ponce recently endured the ordeal of being showered with hateful comments from some Canadian fans. Japanese baseball outlet 'Full-Count' reported on the 8th that with Ponce's season-ending diagnosis due to surgery, criticism among Canadian fans saying "why did he even come?" has emerged. They conveyed the chilly local atmosphere, saying this is the price of a $30 million contract.
According to Full-Count's report, while there were voices of sympathy such as "that's so unfortunate" and "really sad" in response to Ponce's injury news, there were also many fans criticizing what they called a "contract for a player who won't perform," with comments like "this is the worst news," "it's a terrible contract," "he just made money without working," "is this for real?", "unbelievable," "it's unfortunate but really terrible," and "the Toronto Blue Jays are cursed."
Full-Count also lamented, "Ponce, who made his return to the major leagues for the first time in five years since 2021, met tragedy just as he began on the grand stage."
Some expect Ponce's return timing to be the postseason in October. Assuming Toronto reaches playoff baseball again this year, there is speculation that Ponce could be a "surprise card."
But the likelihood is low. Canada's Yahoo Sports pointed out, "It is risky for the Blue Jays to pin their hopes on such a scenario. Expecting a player who just had knee surgery to be able to pitch in the postseason or the World Series in just six months is an excessively risky expectation." <
[OSEN]