Ponce de Leon, who allowed three earned runs on five hits and six walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings versus the Astros on Thursday, is on track to begin the season in the Cardinals' starting rotation, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Kwang Hyun Kim (back) is still building up to a starter's workload as camp winds down, allowing Ponce de Leon to open 2021 in the starting rotation. The 29-year-old may only receive one or two starts until Kim is fully stretched out, but a strong showing could go a long way toward creating additional opportunities. Ponce de Leon had eight starts in nine appearances with a 4.96 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 45:20 K:BB over 32.2 innings for the Cardinals in 2020.