Giants minor leaguer Drew Robinson hits first homer since losing an eye in suicide attempt
Just a little more than a year since a suicide attempt, Drew Robinson added a major hallmark to his baseball comeback story on Tuesday by hitting his first home run since returning to the pros.
Robinson lost his right eye in an April, 2020 suicide attempt in which he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Robinson remarkably survived and 20 hours later woke up – realizing he wanted to live. The 29-year-old now has a prosthetic eye in his right socket and lost parts of his sense of taste and smell.
Robinson recently signed with the San Francisco Giants' Class AAA team, the Sacramento River Cats, and on Saturday hit a single in the River Cats' 11-10 loss to the Las Vegas Aviators. That snapped his 0-for-8 start at the plate in the first two games.
On Tuesday, the outfielder hit the meaningful home run in the second inning of Sacramento's game against the Aviators (an eventual 10-7 loss). Uniquely, he blasted the homer – along with a double – in his hometown of Las Vegas.
Since his suicide attempt, Robinson has become an advocate for mental health by sharing his story and being authentic with his bouts with depression. He told ESPN in February, "How can I go through this and not find a way to try to help other people or impact other people's lives?"
Prior to the suicide attempt, Robinson played for the Texas Rangers (2017 and 2018) and St. Louis Cardinals (2019). He had signed with the Giants prior to the 2020 season.
🚨HOME RUN🚨
The moment every baseball fan has been waiting for: a Drew Robinson bomb! 💣 @Drewrobbb
T3 | SAC - 4, LV - 1#ClawsUp pic.twitter.com/abX434fcRZ— rivercats (@RiverCats) May 12, 2021
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drew Robinson, who lost an eye in suicide attempt, homers in comeback