ST. LOUIS — A little more than a year after a life-threatening brain injury, Daniel Poncedeleon is ready to make his major league debut.

The St. Louis Cardinals bought the 26-year-old right-hander’s contract from Triple-A Memphis on Monday before they opened a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.

“I was pretty speechless when I first heard about it,” Poncedeleon said. “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. My wife (Jennifer) was waiting outside the door and the first person I called was my dad (Ramon Poncedeleon).”

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 last four decisions. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound California native is tied for second among PCL pitchers with his 71 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.

The promotion comes 13 months since 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 then 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.