Phillies trainers hailed as heroes after scary details emerge of reliever's collapse

The Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of Grapefruit League games in spring training in preparation for the beginning of the regular season at the end of March. While the players are getting ready for the season, some events happen that are bigger than baseball. That is the case for Phillies reliever Daniel Robert.

Philadelphia acquired Robert at the beginning of May last year in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Robert appeared in 18 games with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and had a 3.38 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, 19 strikeouts, and five walks. He finished with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 15 contests with the Phillies.

The right-hander's season ended after he sustained a right forearm strain at the beginning of September. Things unexpectedly got a lot scarier for him at the end of October.

Phillies trainers saved Daniel Robert's life last October in a terrifying cardiovascular event

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury, Robert started throwing one of his last bullpen sessions of the year to make sure his arm was good. The reliever had been on the 60-day IL with a strained flexor tendon. He remembers feeling "super light-headed" as he started throwing before collapsing unconscious.

The Phillies' medically trained athletic trainers on site quickly tended to Robert, administering CPR and shocking his heart using an external defibrillator. The reliever told the story this week at his locker in the Phillies' spring training clubhouse.

"It was at a lethally low level. And a very irregular rhythm," Robert said in response to being asked if his heart ever stopped, holding back emotion, per Salisbury.

Months after undergoing tests in Clearwater, Florida, and at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, doctors referred to the incident as "an unknown cardiovascular event."

"I feel like I have a real bond with the Phillies," Robert said about the organization following the unfortunate episode, per Salisbury. "I’m super grateful to them, legitimately the entire staff. I owe everything to them."

The Hoover, Alabama, native became a free agent in November. The cardiovascular incident was enough for Robert to re-sign with Philadelphia on a minor league contract at the beginning of February. He had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) surgically placed under his skin near the side of his chest in January and takes blood pressure medicine. Remarkably, he has no medical restrictions.

Robert said his wife, Jillian, has been one of his biggest supporters since the event.

"She’s an ICU nurse, so she’s kind of been my translator with all the doctors. She was so good keeping family and friends informed. She thought it was honestly a miracle that I was perfectly fine 20 minutes later. It was completely a freak thing. But it was really scary.”

Robert hasn't thrown yet, as he wasn't cleared to play until earlier in February. He said that Phillies manager Rob Thomson, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and general manager Preston Mattingly all kept in touch with him over the offseason.

Robert said the support of the franchise meant everything and influenced why he wanted to return to Philadelphia.

"They stayed in touch all winter. They were super accommodating. They knew exactly what was going on and had a plan for me. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to play this season, but if I was able to, I wanted it to be here because of the way the Phillies supported me. All the tests show I’m healthy. The Phillies helped me get to see some of the best doctors in the country.”

Robert will begin the season in the minors and spend most of his time with the IronPigs. Considering it's a long season and injuries occur, Robert may find himself back on the mound in a Phillies uniform less than a year after his life-altering event took place.