Daniel Robert’s long, strange baseball trip culminated on Wednesday night when the right-handed reliever struck out the first batter he faced in a Major League Baseball game.

Robert made his big-league debut at age 29 in the Texas Rangers’ 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in an American League game in Anaheim, California.

Robert joined the Rangers’ organization from Auburn after pitching only 15.2 innings for the Tigers during his college career.

While only an occasional pitcher, Robert regularly played first base and right field for the Tigers. The left-handed swinger led the team in RBIs in 2015 and 2017 and hit .283 in 196 games during his Auburn career.

But Texas drafted the 6-foot-4 Robert as a pitcher in the 21st round in 2017. However, he didn’t make his professional debut until 2019 with the Low-A Spokane Indians.

Between Auburn and the Northwest League, Robert had Tommy John surgery to repair an injured elbow. His path to the big leagues also was impeded by the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down minor-league baseball for the 2020 season, and a line drive that broke his arm while pitching for the Hickory Crawdads and caused him to miss almost three months during the 2021 season.

Daniel told the Dallas Morning News this week “there were a lot times” that he considered quitting.

“If it wasn’t for other people around me, this was in no way possible,” Robert said. “It was a lot of long nights, not a lot of money. It was leaning on my support system.”

The Rangers called up Robert from the Triple-A Round Rock Express. In his third season with the Express, Robert had 3-1 record with a 2.35 earned-run average and five saves in 25 relief appearances in 2024. He had struck out 40 and yielded only 14 hits in 30.2 innings.

Robert entered Wednesday night’s game in the seventh inning with the Rangers trailing 5-2 and struck out former All-Star Anthony Rendon to open a scoreless frame. In the eighth, Angels shortstop Zach Neto hit an 83-mph sweeper from Robert over the left-field fence for a two-run homer to end the rookie’s first outing on the mound after 1.2 innings.

Robert’s MLB debut came almost one month past the seventh anniversary of his selection as the 644th pick in the 2017 draft.

Robert was an All-State selection three times for Briarwood Christian – none as a pitcher. He was an All-State pick in 2011 as a third baseman, 2012 as an outfielder and 2013 as a designated hitter. In 2011, he was the Birmingham News Metro Player of the Year. Robert also was an honorable mention All-State selection as a wide receiver for the Briarwood Christian football team in 2011.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.