CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 23: A detail view of the Philadelphia Phillies logo on a batting helmet during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 23, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing to pursue a World Series championship behind their core of veteran stars once again.
After reuniting with Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, the team will be relying on the pair, alongside familiar stars like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Zack Wheeler, to carry them deep into the postseason.
But a recent health scare for another returning player was a reminder that some things are more important than championships.
“It was October 31 and (Daniel) Robert was due to throw one of his last bullpen sessions just to make sure his arm was OK before heading home to Alabama,” Jim Salisbury wrote for NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He remembers feeling ‘super light-headed’ as he began to throw, and that’s about it. He collapsed on the mound and was unconscious.”
Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Suffers Near-Death Experience On Mound
The Phillies’ athletic trainers quickly conducted CPR and shocked Robert’s heart with an external defibrillator. Once he was stabilized, an ambulance took him from the team’s minor-league complex to a local hospital where he recovered.
Doctors identified the issue as an “unknown cardiovascular event” and now Robert is back with the Phillies with no medical restrictions. But as he looks to earn a big-league spot with the organization, he sent a clear two-word message about the role that the team’s staff played for him that day.
“100 percent,” Roberts said, when asked if the Phillies athletic trainers had saved his life, per Salisbury.
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Robert appeared in 15 games for the Phillies last year, following a four-game stint with the Texas Rangers in his major-league debut in 2024. Before the health scare, Robert might have seemed like a contender for one of the remaining spots in the Phillies bullpen for Opening Day.
“There are few roster spots to fight over in Clearwater this spring,” Charlotte Varnes noted for The Athletic. “So, the two vacancies in the Phillies’ bullpen are a rare source of intrigue.”
But he wasn’t cleared to return to the mound until earlier this month and he hasn’t yet resumed throwing as he eases into his preseason. Depending on how the marathon season unfolds, though, Robert could find himself called up for his return to a big-league mound sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, he is just grateful for the opportunity after a scary moment.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to play this season, but if I was able to, I wanted it to be here because of the way the Phillies supported me,” Salisbury said. “All the tests show I’m healthy. The Phillies helped me get to see some of the best doctors in the country.”