Kristian Robinson Activated From Restricted List
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The Diamondbacks activated outfield prospect Kristian Robinson from the restricted list and have re-assigned him to the minor leagues. Entering the 2020 season, Robinson was one of the organization's top prospects as a raw, but talented player who had five tool potential with raw power being the carrying tool.
Robinson's career had been put on hold for the past three seasons due to legal issues, involving an assault of a law enforcement officer during the pandemic shutdown and plead guilty to felony assault in 2021. He was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and 18 months of probation. Back in February, I wrote about his situation and asked how he'll be able to make up for three years of lost reps.
Without knowing the details of the case, it's possible one of two things happened. Either he had his felony assault reduced to a misdemeanor as part of the plea deal or he was granted U.S. citizenship. Robinson was unable to play with any of the D-backs minor league affiliates, as a result of being unable to secure a travel visa from the Bahamas due to the felony.
With Robinson now activated, Arizona will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move if he counts towards the 40-man roster. He has all three of his options remaining, allowing the D-backs to keep him through the 2025 season without having to subject him to waivers if that is the case. It will take some time for him to get reacclimated with the minor league grind, as it's been over three and a half years since he last played for an affiliate. It will be an uphill battle for him to make up for that lost time, given those were his Age 19-21 seasons.
Given the raw talent and potential that Robinson has on the baseball field, the D-backs will be very eager to try to get him to the big leagues. That likely isn't happening this season, but if he has back-to-back solid seasons in the minors he could be in Arizona by the end of the 2024 season.
