Daniel Robertson Gets The Big Call

ST. PETERSBURG—The voicemail was from four years ago, when shortstop Daniel Robertson in just his second professional season made the low Class A roster in 2013.

So when the 23-year-old Robertson got word on the eve of this season’s opener of a much bigger promotion, it was only natural that—after calling his mother Julie with the news—that he wanted to hear the words of his father, who died in September 2013.

“I always saved the voicemail that he left me when I was in low A,” Robertson said, “and I (just) listened to that. It says how proud he was of me at the time, but I kind of just was taking it as if I just made the phone call to him right now.

“I hold back my tears when I listen to that. I miss him. I know he’s looking down at me, proud as hell . . . I’m just trying to make my family as proud as I can be doing what I love.”

The Athletics selected Robertson, a prep from Upland, Calif., in the supplemental first round of the 2012 draft. The Rays acquired him in the January 2015 Ben Zobrist trade. He hit .259/.358/.356 in 118 games at Triple-A Durham last year.

And when Tim Beckham assumed the Rays’ regular shortstop job in place of Matt Duffy, Robertson got the chance to make his major league debut.

After a slow start this spring when it looked like he was pressing, Robertson impressed the Rays with his smooth defense—not just as shortstop but also at second and third base.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Robertson’s defense is what led the club to keep him instead of the more experienced Nick Franklin, whom Tampa Bay subsequently lost to the Brewers on waivers.

Robertson said he knew what he had to do. “Early on in camp, Cash came up to me and said, ‘We know you can swing it. We just want you to go out there and make the routine plays and make us feel comfortable putting you out there,’ ” he said. “And I think I did a really good job of that.”

COOL RAYS

• Durham righthander Taylor Guerrieri left his second start with an elbow injury. The 2011 first-rounder missed most of 2014 after having Tommy John surgery.

• The Rays added an extra staff member at Durham to allow Jared Sandberg to manage from the dugout full time. Craig Albernaz serves as the team’s third-base coach.

— Marc Topkin covers the Rays for the Tampa Bay Times