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Cardinals prospect undergoes brain surgery after taking ball to the head

Feb 27, 2017; Fort Myers, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon (95) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis Cardinals prospect Daniel Poncedeleon was involved in a scary situation Tuesday evening as his Memphis Redbirds took on the Iowa Cubs in Triple-A game down in the minors.

It happened after Iowa first baseman Victor Cartini hit a line drive Poncedeleon’s way in the second inning, ultimately leading to the line drive hitting the pitcher in the head.

Poncedeleon was eventually carried off the field in a stretcher. And it’s now being reported that he had to undergo brain surgery as a way to relieve pressure.

“We’re just praying for that to go well,” Cardinals Mike Matheny said, via ESPN . “He’s still not great. There’s still a lot of uncertainty as to how that’s going to progress. I don’t have all the technical terms for you. Very serious.”

Poncedeleon, 25, was a ninth-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2014. He entered the season ranked as one of the organization’s top-30 prospects and was pitching to a 2.17 ERA in six starts at Memphis prior to the injury.

Though, the larger concern here is about the pitcher’s long-term health and how he recovers from brain surgery.

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