New Phillies minor-league reliever is 30 years old, but still ‘relatively new to pitching’
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Daniel Robert was caught off guard when a scout called him and told him that a major-league organization wanted him — as a pitcher.
Sure, the 6-foot-4 right-hander had thrown in some collegiate games at Auburn, but his focus was stepping into the lefty batter’s box and manning first base or right field for the Tigers. He had an .830 OPS in 60 games in his senior season in 2017, while pitching only 8 1/3 innings.
Since then, Robert, 30, has turned his attention to the mound, but his time as a pitcher has still been limited. The new member of the Phillies organization thinks there could be more in the tank to tap into.
“I know I’m older, but I’m relatively new to pitching,” Robert said Thursday from Coca-Cola Park. “My first full season pitching was 2021, so I feel like there’s a lot of room for growth.”
The reliever has joined the team at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after being traded from the Rangers to the Phillies in exchange for Single-A pitcher Enrique Segura this past Wednesday. Robert pitched in four games in the big leagues for Texas last season, but he was designated for assignment last week despite a 1.54 ERA in 10 games for Round Rock, the Class AAA affiliate in the Rangers system.
Robert’s path to becoming a full-time pitcher started when Rangers scout Brian Morrison pitched the idea to him years back. It was a surprise, but Robert felt that he could unlock some potential in the role. He was sold, so Texas selected him in the 21st round in the 2017 draft.
Unfortunately for Robert, he underwent Tommy John surgery that summer. Injury pushed back his first appearance in the minor leagues until June 2019, then COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season. It took a while before he got the chance to start a new season on a pitching staff.
It was long, but becoming a pitcher was a process Robert enjoyed.
“Getting used to pitching was fun,” Robert said. “I was kind of sick of striking out, so it’s nice to return the favor every once in a while. It’s been great.”
With a bit of major-league experience under his belt but only 219 1/3 innings thrown above high school, Robert joined the Phillies as a depth piece on their 40-man roster. He said he “couldn’t have been more thrilled” about Philadelphia acquiring him, hearing great feedback about the club’s player development and fans. The righty could be someone the Phillies call up if they need some bullpen assistance.
Robert has made two appearances with Lehigh Valley, going 2 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. He’s reined in some of the control issues that affected him with the Rangers.
“He’s been solid,” IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras said. “I know the strike-throwing was kind of his kryptonite in the past, but he’s filling up the zone with all his pitches. He has a very nice sweeper that he can throw for strikes and get in the zone. Just have to see it over an extended period of time with us and what that looks like consistently.”
Playing off his sharp sweeper, Robert’s four-seam fastball sat at 96 mph during his outing against Worcester on Wednesday. He also throws a sinker and a cutter. He hopes that arsenal and his unique journey can help him keep improving, even if it’s eight years after switching to pitching.
“It’s gotten me here so far,” Robert said. “And hopefully I haven’t reached my ceiling yet.”