Drew Robinson retires as a player to join the San Francisco Giants front office

Drew Robinson, who survived a suicide attempt and returned to play baseball with one eye while spreading a message about the importance of mental health, said in an Instagram post on Friday that he would retire from the game after this weekend and would join the San Francisco Giants. ‘front office.

Robinson, 29, has spent the past 2.5 months with the Giants’ Triple-A branch in Sacramento, returning to the game against all odds. In April 2020, Robinson shot himself in the head and survived 20 hours before calling 911. The idea of ​​playing baseball again prompted Robinson to make the call, and while damage from the gunshot forced medics to remove his right eye, he nevertheless attempted a comeback. .

The Giants signed Robinson, who had played in the major leagues with the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, to a minor league deal. After a successful spring training he joined Sacramento and started opening night in right field. In his fourth game, Robinson hit a home run, the first of three he went on to hit.

Amid the on-field struggles in Sacramento, Robinson has started discussing a job with the Giants’ organization as a mental health advocate, and he will transition to that role after three games this weekend.

“I couldn’t be more excited to stay in the game that saved my life,” he wrote on Instagram. “… While I take pride in my progress, growth is an ongoing journey. For the Giants, believing that I can help other players manage their emotional well-being more comfortably and understand the lessons I have learned. learned is truly a lesson in humility. “