Cardinals Send Daniel Poncedeleon Back to Minors After Pitching Seven Hitless Innings
After throwing seven no-hit innings in his major league debut for the Cardinals on Monday, rookie Daniel Poncedeleon was optioned on Tuesday and sent back to St. Louis' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.
Poncedeleon threw 116 pitches in Monday's game against the Reds. He surrendered just three walks and striking out three before he was taken out of the game in following the seventh inning. He became the fifth pitcher to carry a no-hitter through seven innings of his major league debut since 1961's Expansion Era.
His impressive debut took place just 14 months after the right-hander suffered a severe head injury. Poncedeleon took a line drive to his right temple in a Triple-A game in May of 2017 that resulted in brain surgery.
Poncedeleon has made 18 appearances in Triple-A, posting a 2.15 ERA with a 2.15 strike-to-walk ratio. Poncedeleon had previously been called up earlier in the year without getting into a game.
