While in the Royals' minor league system, Pounders threw a no-hitter for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2013.

Again a free agent after the 2018 season, Pounders signed with the Cleveland Indians, but never played a major league game with the team.

When he was a junior at Temecula Valley, he committed to the University of Southern California (USC) baseball team.

[3] As a high school senior, Pounders had a 9–2 win–loss record with a 1.96 earned run average (ERA) and 91 strikeouts in 64+1⁄3 innings pitched.

[5] The next season, Pounders was assigned to the State College Spikes, a short-season team[1] at the Single A level.

Mike Steele, Pounders' pitching coach at State College, reported that he was a "warrior-makeup guy" and that "his mind and his makeup are ahead of what his body will allow him to do".

Team management also stated that they believed that Pounders needed to gain muscle mass, and noted that he had been working out since being drafted.

[1] These nine games were played for the Blue Rocks and the Idaho Falls Chukars of the rookie-level Pioneer League; he went 0–2 with a 4.40 ERA in 30+2⁄3 innings for the two teams.

[1] During the 2015 season, he played for four teams: the Chukars, the rookie-level Arizona League Royals, the Blue Rocks, and the Naturals.

With the Storm Chasers, Pounders recorded a 2.80 ERA over 64+1⁄3 innings before being called up to the major leagues by the Royals after Wade Davis was put on the disabled list with a forearm injury[2] on July 5.

[12] That same day, Pounders made his major league debut[13] in an 8–3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

[13] Pounders next pitched for the Royals on July 30, against the Texas Rangers; he gave up one run while only recording two outs in the ninth inning, taking his first major league loss.

[15] Royals manager Ned Yost stated he was considering letting Pounders pitch the next inning before Mitch Moreland hit a home run to win the game for the Rangers; Pounders remarked that the pitch was intended to be low and away from the batter, but "caught too much of the plate".

[1] Pounders appeared in nine more games for the Royals over the course of the season, including picking up his second major league win against the Minnesota Twins on September 27.

[5][17] Due to his early-season efforts with the Storm Chasers, he was named to the Pacific Coast League Mid-Season All-Star Team.

[1] He made his Angels debut on April 23 against the Blue Jays; two days later he received the win in a game against the Oakland Athletics.

[20][1] On December 5, Pounders signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies; he was sent to the Triple A Albuquerque Isotopes on January 28, 2018.

[1] He was then called back up the major leagues by the Rockies on April 24; he had recorded a 3.60 ERA in seven games with the Isotopes prior to the call-up.

On June 1, he blew a save and took the loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers by allowing four runs without recording an out in the sixth inning.

[23] While in the Indians organization, Pounders was assigned to the Columbus Clippers of the Triple A International League for the 2019 season.

[25] He made his first appearance with the Mets the next day, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.

[17] On May 7, 2021, Pounders signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization and was assigned to the Tacoma Rainiers two days later.