Austin Hedges had been waiting for the right moment. So, after he helped the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon, he went for it.
Hedges, who scored the first run of the game for the Guardians on Sunday at Progressive Field, proposed to girlfriend Lexi Dickinson on the field after the contest. She quickly said yes.
“I’ve had the ring since early spring training, but was just trying to figure out when the right time was,” Hedges said, via The Associated Press. “I was going to do it regardless, but I really wanted to win that game to make it extra special.”
Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges proposed to girlfriend Lexi Dickinson on Sunday afternoon. (David Dermer-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)
Hedges and Dickinson first started dating in November 2024.
“I had a lot of nerves today,” he said. “I’m always nervous for baseball games, but just trying to stay present, knowing there were some activities after made it harder. It was a special day. A special day to be able to soak it all in.”
Hedges is in his third season back with the Guardians. The catcher signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the franchise this past offseason. Hedges, who got his MLB start with the San Diego Padres in 2015, also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers, where he won a World Series title in 2023.
Hedges holds a .250 batting average with two RBI in nine games this season. He scored in the third inning Sunday after Steven Kwan hit a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland on the board first.
The win pushed Cleveland to 13-10 this season. The Guardians are 8-0 when Hedges has started behind the plate.
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