SURPRISE, Ariz. - Perhaps the more impressive former SEC pitcher to appear for the Rangers on Friday was non-roster invitee Daniel Robert, who pitched the ninth.
Robert, 27, is making quite an impression early in camp.
Like former Vanderbilt ace Jack Leiter, Robert showed off a 97 mph fastball. Also: A late-breaking, elite spin slider. The combo led to three strikeouts after a leadoff single, the last being Gabriel Cancel. Yep, Robert, um, canceled him.
Robert, a right-hander, pitched at Auburn. The only difference between he and Leiter: Well, Robert played first base for most of his first three seasons and asked to pitch only after a collision led to a left arm injury. He came back as a senior and was off to a good start as a reliever when he tore his elbow ligament. Only he didn’t know it at the time. He, instead, put a brace on the arm and went back to playing the field.
“I didn’t have a good feeling about it, but I didn’t know what the sensation was,” Robert said Friday.
He only found about the injury after the Rangers drafted him in the 21st round in 2017, agreed to a deal with him and brought him in for a physical. After seeing the MRI, the club voided the deal and said it would be willing to take another look at him if he chose to have the surgery. He showed up seven months later, having done just that, threw a handful of pitches in the mid-90s and club officials told him to stop. They signed him on the spot, let him continue to rehab.
He was so impressive in last year’s instructional league, there was buzz he’d get selected in the Rule 5 draft, which ended up getting canceled. Instead, he’s now in big league camp.
“I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world,” Robert said. “It’s been unique and I feel like it’s played a big role in making me the kind of person I am today.”
What kind of person? One who is on the radar screen as a potential bullpen option.
Briefly: More evidence the Rangers’ farm system is among MLB’s top tier: The organization placed five players in MLBPipeline’s top 100 prospects list, which was released Friday. The Rangers on the list: RHP Jack Leiter (No. 17), 3B Josh Jung (No. 29), RHP Cole Winn (No. 48), INF Ezekiel Duran (No. 83) and INF Justin Foscue (No. 89). … Rangers director of major league operations Paul Kruger, who handles negotiations with both pre-arbitration and arbitration eligible players is going to have a busy weekend. By Tuesday, the Rangers must exchange proposed salaries with their four arbitration-eligible players: C Mitch Garver, OF-DH Willie Calhoun, LHP Taylor Hearn and LHP Brett Martin by Tuesday. And Kruger has set Wednesday as the deadline to do deals with pre-arbitration players. … The Rangers expect the lone player still not in camp, RHP Yerry Rodriguez, to arrive Monday. He was awaiting an appointment for his visa in the Dominican Republic.
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