Drew Robinson from 2020 spring training. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The most remarkable story in baseball will continue to be the most remarkable story in baseball.
Drew Robinson is again a professional player.
The utility player who nearly took his own life, but the self-inflicted gunshot took an eye while literally and metaphorically giving him a new vision on life, has made the Giants’ Triple-A roster.
The Sacramento River Cats announced their roster Tuesday, and the 29-year-old is among the outfielders to make the cut. He had been in the Giants’ minor league camp before it broke.
The River Cats open their schedule on the road against Las Vegas, Robinson’s hometown.
“[M]y first games back, after everything that’s happened, are at home in front of all the people that got me through my incident and this last year as a whole? It feels like I’m living out a movie,” Robinson wrote on Instagram. “I really can’t believe it and have a hard time putting it into words how much this means to me, my family, my circle of people, all the doctors that put me back together, and the doctors that work with me on a weekly basis.”
April 16, 2020, Robinson decided to end his life and with it losing a longtime battle with his own mental health. After the gunshot did not kill him, he chose life and dialed 911.
“I kind of started baseball again hesitantly and worked hard just to see what could happen,” Robinson wrote. “Plenty of times I went down the road of not thinking it was possible and that I was wasting my time. But here I am, getting ready to play another professional season, with an astronomical amount of meaning attached to it. This is so much bigger than me. I’m excited, nervous, empowered and more importantly, ready for a magical experience.”
Gabe Kapler said he is “super proud of the perseverance, and the drive and the determination.” The Giants manager has spoken often about the stigma that surrounds mental-health issues, and he, Farhan Zaidi and Scott Harris wanted Robinson around the organization regardless.
But as a determined Robinson remade his body and got to work on the field, there is hope he can make an improbable comeback. He now uses a prosthetic eye.
Kapler said Robinson has shared videos with him of his in-field work.
“Some really loud hard contact, continues to be a guy who can move around the diamond, play the infield and the outfield at a high level,” Kapler said over Zoom on Wednesday before the Giants finished a series at Coors Field. “Really excited for him, happy for him and always here to support Drew.”
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