Professional Career
Robertson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft.
In 2007, pitching for three minor league teams, he was 8–3 with 4 saves and a 0.96 ERA in 84 1⁄3 innings, allowing 45 hits while striking out 114 batters. In 2008, pitching for two minor league teams, he was 4-0 with 3 saves and a 1.68 ERA in 53 2⁄3 innings, allowing 28 hits while striking out 77.
On June 28, 2008, the Yankees called him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On August 28, 2008, the Yankees optioned him back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees with an earned run average of 6.31. He was recalled back to the majors on September 13.
After starting the 2009 regular season in Triple-A, Robertson was recalled to the majors on April 16, 2009, to replace Xavier Nady, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list. The next day he was optioned back to Triple-A to open a roster spot for Juan Miranda. On May 25, 2009, he was again recalled to the majors to replace reliever Brian Bruney. Robertson finished the season with a 3.30 ERA and 13.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in 43 2⁄3 innings.
In the 2009 playoffs, Robertson entered two games in high-pressure situations with multiple runners on base, once in the ALDS and once in the ALCS, and managing to escape the inning without letting any runs score. Robertson received the win in both games.
Robertson finished the 2010 season with a 3.82 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings in 61 1⁄3 innings.
The Yankees entered the 2011 season with the additions of Pedro Feliciano and Rafael Soriano. Robertson lost out to Joba Chamberlain to be the 7th inning pitcher who manager Joe Girardi wanted to bridge to Soriano and closer Mariano Rivera. Injuries to Feliciano, Soriano and Chamberlain put Robertson in the 8th inning setup role, where he achieved 55 strikeouts half way through the season. Robertson was named to the 2011 American League All-Star roster replacing David Price for his first All-Star appearance. He finished the season with 100 strikeouts, becoming the first Yankee reliever since Rivera (in 1996) to record 100 strikeouts in a single season. Robertson finished his breakout season with an AL-leading 1.08 ERA, 13.5 K/9 ratio (2nd in the AL), and an MLB-leading adjusted ERA+ of 410. He also received exactly one (1) point in the voting for both the AL Cy Young Award (the only non-starter or non-closer with a vote) and AL MVP (the only reliever with a vote).
In January 2012, the Yankees and Robertson agreed on a 1-year non-guaranteed contract worth $1.6 million, plus another $25,000 in incentives.
When Rivera went down with a season-ending injury in May 2012, Girardi announced that Robertson and Soriano would share the duties of closing games for the remainder of the season. Robertson himself would be placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 15 after a he strained a muscle in his ribcage, twelve days after Rivera's season ending knee injury. He returned to action on June 15.
Read more about this topic: David Robertson (baseball)
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