The worst-case scenario has arrived for the Toronto Blue Jays and injured right-hander Cody Ponce, who’s set to undergo knee surgery to repair his right ACL sprain, the club announced Tuesday.

After visiting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday, Ponce learned that his right knee will require surgery with an estimated recovery timeline of six months, manager John Schneider told reporters during his pre-game media availability, as MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson relayed.

In all likelihood, this marks the end of Ponce’s triumphant return to the majors this season, which lasted less than three innings into his Blue Jays career after he was carted off the field in his debut on Mar. 30.

The Blue Jays brass was initially holding out hope that Ponce — who was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Sunday to make room for a fresh arm — could have a chance to return before the 2026 campaign concluded. But that was contingent on avoiding surgery, which, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to achieve.

It’s still possible that if Ponce progresses ahead of schedule, the 31-year-old starter could potentially make an unexpected return in the post-season. At the moment, however, that hypothetical appears far off in the distance.

Assuming Ponce remains sidelined through the rest of this year, all his focus will soon be redirected towards hitting the ground running when spring training opens in just under 12 months from now. With Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer all due to hit free agency, having him back in the fold for the second season of his three-year, $30 million contract will be crucial.

In the meantime, left-hander Patrick Corbin — recalled from Single-A Dunedin on Tuesday — will now slide into Ponce’s vacated rotation spot following last weekend’s bullpen day. It’ll be up to him to fill that void until the likes of Trey Yesavage or José Berríos return from the IL.

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