Former Wildcat Nearly Throws No-Hitter in MLB Debut
By Eric Brown
Former Wildcat Daniel Poncedeleon nearly throws No-Hitter in his MLB Debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday evening.
A bit of MLB History almost happened on Monday night in Cincinnati, as former Wildcat Daniel Poncedeleon almost threw a no-hitter in his Major League debut. However, the close to perfect start was ruined by the Cardinals bullpen, as interim manager Mike Shildt decided to pull Daniel after the 7th inning.
With his pitch count already at 116, the move may turn out to be better for the longevity of Poncedeleon’s career, minimizing the strain on his arm.
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Getting to the Majors has been a long road for Poncedeleon. Hailing from La Mirada High School, he was drafted out of high school in 2010 by the Cincinnati Reds, but declined his offer to come to Arizona.
Despite throwing only three innings for the Wildcats, Poncedelon would bounce around to numerous locations before finally getting to the league.
Fast forward to just 14 months ago, and his career seemed to be over.
On May 9th, 2017 while playing with the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis’ Triple A affiliate), Poncedeleon was hit on the right temple by a line drive ball that was hit right back to the pitchers mound.
He immediately collapsed to the turf, with coaches and players rushing to his side, expecting the worst. He was evacuated to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fracture and an epidural hematoma, or bleeding on the brain in layman’s terms.
You can watch that video here
Warning: The video is graphic, please watch at your own risk.
After missing the remainder of the 2017 season, he received a spring training invite from the Cardinals and was placed back on the Redbirds’s roster to begin the season. In 2018, he has absolutely flourished, compiling a 9-3 record so far with a 2.15 ERA.
Well, now officially making it up to the Major Leagues, in Pondeleon’s first career start, the former Wildcat absolutely impressed, pitching seven, no-hit innings. The Cardinals would go on to lose 2-1.
Take a look at his highlights from Monday nights game!
Must Read: More on Arizona Baseball
With the St. Louis Cardinals ace, Carlos Martinez on the Disabled List, and the rest of the pitching staff falling apart at the seams, it appears that this will be more than a one-off start for the former Wildcat in the Major Leagues. Bear Down, Arizona!