Poncedeleon has surgery after hit by liner

MIAMI -- Cardinals prospect Daniel Poncedeleon underwent surgery to relieve pressure after being struck in the head with a batted ball on Tuesday. The 25-year-old right-hander with Triple-A Memphis was hit by a line drive in the second inning of Tuesday's game at Iowa's Principal Park.
"We're just still praying for that to go well," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny prior to Wednesday's game with Miami at Marlins Park. "I think there's still a lot of uncertainty over how that's going to progress. It's a tough situation."
Poncedeleon, who remains in intensive care in an Iowa hospital, was conscious when taken from the field on a stretcher. He waved and gave a "thumbs up" as he was taken to an ambulance beyond the fence in right field.

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Promoted to Memphis on April 10, Poncedeleon was among the club's most productive starters, going 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA over 29 innings. He compiled a 3.52 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 151 innings last season for Double-A Springfield.
A ninth-round Draft choice of the Cardinals in 2014, Poncedeleon was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training for a second consecutive season and worked 6 2/3 innings.
"Good arm, good movement," Matheny said of the 6-foot-4, 195-pound righty. "It's just the kind of guy you see in a lot of bullpens all over the big leagues. That mid- to upper 90s with movement, a hard slider; he's around the zone enough to be effective."
Poncedeleon made midseason All-Star teams the last two years with Class A Peoria in 2015 and Double-A Springfield last season.