Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease became a social media sensation on Wednesday after a brief misunderstanding with a team staffer. The incident occurred as Cease was leaving the field following his team's 10-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Cease, 30, had just completed eight no-hit innings against the Giants. His no-hit bid ended in the ninth inning when Heliot Ramos hit a single. As Cease headed toward the locker room, a staff member approached him, phone in hand, appearing to offer a side-hug. Cease, seemingly under the impression she wanted a selfie, smiled and positioned himself for a photo.
However, the staff member's intention was to direct him toward a waiting TV crew for an interview. The mix-up left online observers amused, with many also commending Cease for his willingness to engage with what he thought was a fan request, even after a demanding pitching performance.
"Dying at Cease thinking staff wanted a selfie or something but she was just trying to point him to the interview," one user commented on X. Another wrote, "he was going through it but was still gonna pose for a fan selfie omg adorable man."
Cease's outing saw him throw a career-high 118 pitches, 81 of which were strikes. He recorded 11 strikeouts, increasing his American League-leading total to 148. The win improved his season record to 6-4. The final three outs of the game were secured by former Giants reliever Tyler Rogers, who threw only four pitches.