Ryan YoungStaff writerMon, April 20, 2026 at 12:24 AM UTC·2 min readAustin 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 his 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.”
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 this spring. 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 the Texas Rangers, where he won a World Series title in 2023.
Hedges hold a .250 batting average with two RBIs in nine games so far this season. He scored in the third inning on Sunday after Steven Kwan hit a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland on the board first.
The win pushed Cleveland to 13-10 so far this season. The Guardians are a perfect 8-0 when Hedges has started behind the plate, too.