Reliever struck in head nears big-league debut
A little more than a year after a life-threatening brain injury, Daniel Poncedeleon is ready to make his major-league debut.
The Cardinals bought the 26year-old right-hander’s contract from Triple-A Memphis on Monday before a 5-2 win over the Padres.
“I was pretty speechless when I first heard about it,” said Poncedeleon, who didn’t pitch Monday night. “I didn’t believe it. I thought (Memphis manager) Stubby (Clapp) was playing a little joke on me. I was called into the office and they told me.”
Poncedeleon was 5-2 with a Pacific Coast League-leading 2.41 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) for Memphis this season, winning each of his past four decisions.
The promotion comes 13 months after a line drive struck Poncedeleon in the right temple, fracturing his skill during a game against the Iowa Cubs on May 9, 2017. Poncedeleon underwent an emergency craniotomy to fix an epidural hematoma, which is bleeding from his brain. He went through weeks of rehab and endured three months of inactivity as he recovered.
When Poncedeleon returned to playing this spring, he wore a carbon fiber insert under his hat to prevent another injury. It’s a bit cumbersome but necessary.
“You get used to it,” he said.
Players off DL: Mookie Betts (abdominal strain) is back after the Red Sox activated him from the disabled list and put him in the leadoff spot against the Orioles. He went 1-for-5, dropping his majorsbest average to .354.
Baltimore activated closer Zach Britton six months after he underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.
The Brewers reinstated first baseman Eric Thames from the 10-day DL. Thames had been out since April 25 after tearing a ligament in his left thumb.
Cubs win: The Supreme Court is leaving in place a court decision dismissing a lawsuit filed against the Cubs by the owners of rooftop clubs across the street from Wrigley Field.
Skybox on Sheffield and Lakeview Baseball Club sued the Cubs in 2015, arguing in part that a rightfield video board the team was adding would block their views of the ballpark and violate terms of a 2004 revenue-sharing agreement.
Federal Judge Virginia Kendall said the board was allowed because the agreement allowed “any expansion of Wrigley Field approved by governmental authorities.”
Briefly: Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus (elbow fracture) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco . ... Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller is about ready to start facing live batters . ... White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring strain) is set to start a minorleague rehab assignment.