D-backs' Robinson happy to be back on the field

Last Friday, Kristian Robinson had to catch himself. He had just watched Single-A Visalia teammate Gavin Conticello launch a tank off rehabbing Major Leaguer Adrian Morejon to give the Rawhide a 12-1 lead at Lake Elsinore. It’s a moment worth celebrating for the teammate of any low-level Minor Leaguer, but for Robinson -- playing in just his fourth Minor League game since 2019 -- it was a moment that felt all the sweeter until reality set back in.

“I was jumping up and down in the dugout, couldn’t stop shouting and yelling for him,” Robinson said. “I had to remember that we were up by a lot, and I didn’t want to disrespect the other team. I had to quiet myself down, but yeah, I’m the biggest cheerleader for my teammates and it’s fun celebrating with them.”

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Joy in the dugout, at the plate, in the field, and generally around the atmosphere of full-season Minor League Baseball means more to the D-backs outfield prospect now following his near-four-year absence.

The Bahamas native ranked as high as No. 39 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list because of his true five-tool potential, but on April 5, 2020, he was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after being found walking in traffic alongside Interstate 10 west of Phoenix. As part of his plea agreement, he was sentenced to complete 18 months probation and 150 hours of community service, after which the charges would become a misdemeanor. However until then, he didn’t have access to a work visa that would allow him to play Minor League games and was instead relegated to working out at the D-backs’ Spring Training facility at Salt River Fields and participating in extended spring training contests.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Robinson reiterated that the incident three years ago came as a result of a mental health struggle brought on, in part, by the coronavirus pandemic. While the right-handed slugger had let his physical gifts push his career, he took the episode as a wakeup call.

“This is going to make me sound sort of naive, but [I learned] that it’s there, that it exists, that you do need to take care of yourself mentally,” Robinson said. “I don't want to go into too much detail about everything that happened around that time, but there's no hiding it. There was some struggle. There was some trial. I think at this point now, I know that I have to do a better job at taking care of myself mentally. It’s all effort.”

The outfielder credited his family -- including his wife and son and those back home in the Bahamas, as well as the D-backs and his current and former agents with CAA and Excel -- with aiding him in his journey toward improving his mental health so he could return to the field.

“Their understanding, patience and belief in me have been instrumental in my recovery,” he said in a prepared statement before addressing reporters Monday.

In late April, Robinson received an email containing the good news he’d long been awaiting. Having completed the court requirements, he was at last granted a US work visa that allowed him to play games away from the Arizona complex again. After recovering from a minor hamstring injury, he was assigned to Visalia on May 29 and played for the Rawhide the following night, marking his first Minor League game since Sept. 2, 2019 with then-Single-A Kane County.

“I'll continue to say that I'm grateful for that time I had the complex and those game reps that I actually did get without having to worry about the back of a stat sheet or whatever it may be,” Robinson said of his absence. “I could go in there, get four at-bats, think about what I did, go into the field, work on what I need to work on, do the same thing each day.

“It was a process, but a lot of growth happened in that process.”

The D-backs believe the pieces are still there from his days as a Top 100 prospect -- namely the superb raw power, above-average speed and strong throwing arm -- and that he just needs time in a competitive environment to exhibit them again. To Robinson’s credit, the 22-year-old is only half-a-year older than the average California Leaguer upon his return.

He admits he knows the time may come when he’ll have to share parts of his journey with his Visalia teammates to educate them on the importance of being in check with mental health as a young professional, but for now, he relishes being in a Minor League clubhouse at all.

“Nothing beats playing at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. every night,” he said. “I've been reminded of that, and I'm just grateful for it. I have butterflies right now, and that's what I've been feeling all week. It’s all been positive emotions all around.”

Hitting the ground running only helps those feelings. Robinson went deep in his second game with Visalia and has gone 8-for-26 (.308) with four steals through six contests. A member of the 40-man roster, Robinson could move quickly through Arizona’s system if he can prove the lost time hasn’t slowed down his prodigious bat. His personal objective, however, is a lot simpler.

“I set one goal, one word, and that’s play,” he said. “Just play.”