St. Louis Cardinals rookie Daniel Poncedeleon was the talk of the baseball world on Monday. On Tuesday, he was sent back to the minors.
Poncedeleon fired seven no-hit innings against the Cincinnati Reds. This was in his MLB debut, only one year after receiving emergency brain surgery following a line drive to the head. Not even 24 hours later, the Cardinals sent him back to Triple-A.
The #STLCards have recalled rookie LHP Austin Gomber from Memphis (AAA) and optioned RHP Daniel Poncedeleon to triple-A. Gomber, 24, will be making his first Major League start tonight in Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/hGoAUnGoLa
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 24, 2018
That certainly shows how tough it can be being a young baseball player, especially a pitcher. With Triple-A Memphis this year, Poncedeleon has posted a 2.15 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 10.1 K/9 rate. If he continues to pitch that well, there’s no doubt that he’ll be back in the majors.
Regardless of whether that happens, one thing is for sure. Austin Gomber will have his work cut out for him if he’s going to top Poncedeleon’s debut.