WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Cardinals righthander Daniel Ponce de Leon is something of a placeholder for Kwang Hyun Kim, who is recovering from back tightness. Though lefthander Kim, at times the Cardinals’ best pitcher last season, is set to pitch two or three innings on Saturday, manager Mike Shildt said, it is uncertain if Kim will be able to start the first week of the season.
So it was that Ponce de Leon, who has had his moments in the Cardinals’ rotation the past few seasons, made his final start of spring training Thursday night against the Houston Astros.