Phillies’ Daniel Robert released from hospital after cardiac event

TAMPA, Fla. — Phillies pitcher Daniel Robert has been released from the hospital after suffering a cardiac event at the team’s spring-training facility, manager Rob Thomson said Sunday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field.

Robert, who had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator inserted to monitor heart rhythm and correct irregular rhythms in dangerous situations after dealing with a previous cardiac event last year, suffered the latest event following a bullpen session on Sunday morning. While still on the mound outside BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Robert grabbed his chest and went to the ground.

“Daniel had another cardiac event on the mound today,” the Phillies said soon after. “The ICD was triggered as he was coming off the mound but he is stable and alert. He was taken to the local hospital to have the device data reviewed.”

Thomson was right behind Robert as the situation unfolded. Around a dozen of the reliever’s Phillies teammates gathered and cheered Robert for completing his first bullpen since the initial cardiac event. But quickly after he was done pitching, the ICD went off. Robert stumbled, then knelt before lying down. He eventually sat up, rose to his feet and walked away toward an ambulance with EMT personnel.

“It was scary,” Thomson said, “because he went down and then started to get up again and went back down. So that thing triggered twice, but he’s out of the hospital feeling fine.”

Back in October, Robert suffered his first cardiac event while on the injured list with a strained forearm. Medics did CPR and used a defibrillator on his heart, which was not necessary on Sunday. The Phillies will check on Robert again on Monday, Thomson said.

“It was very scary,” Thomson said, “but he’s fine.”