There was a scary moment at the Phillies’ spring training camp on Sunday when pitcher Daniel Robert collapsed on the mound on Sunday.
The 31-year-old right-hander was throwing a bullpen session in front of teammates and staff at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla., when he went down after grabbing his chest.
“I was standing right behind him,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, per mlb.com. “It was scary because he went down, he started to get back up again and he went back down.”
Robert had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator – which monitors heart rhythm and correct irregular rhythms — placed near his chest over the winter after suffering a cardiac event last October. The device triggered as he was coming off the mound on Sunday, causing the incident.
The pitcher reportedly was able to board an ambulance under his own power and was taken to the hospital. He has since been released after the device data had been reviewed and Robert reportedly is feeling fine.
“It was very scary, but he’s fine,” Thomson added.
More than a dozen of Robert’s teammates were watching because it was his first bullpen session of spring training. The group reportedly applauded Robert’s milestone in recovery before he collapsed.
It is unclear how long Robert will be out of action following this latest setback.
What are Robert’s stats?
Robert has played two seasons in the Majors, debuting with the Rangers in 2024. He made four appearances for Texas that season, going 1-0 with 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings.
After being traded to the Phillies organization in April last year, he made 15 MLB appearances, pitching 13 innings and striking out 15 batters with a 4.15 ERA.