Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson received exciting news just before the game and celebrated in the dugout before leaving the stadium.
Before Thursday’s season opener in St. Louis, Stephenson got the call that his wife was about to give birth to a girl — their firstborn.
Instead of going to the field, Stephenson went to South Carolina, where his wife Carlyn was to be induced.
However, the Reds dugout did not let him leave without celebrating.
In a video posted to the team’s X account, Stephenson is seen dancing with his teammates upon hearing the news.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson received news of his daughter’s birth before Thursday’s game
Cincinnati’s players beamed for their catcher, patting his helmet and giving each other high-fives when he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. He then left the dugout and headed to greet his daughter.
“Soon my dad, @Tyler_Steph22, became the ring before he even stepped on the field,” the Reds captioned it. “Congratulations to the Stephenson family.”
Stephenson has been with the Reds since joining the MLB in July 2020.
He got married just before the 2022 MLB season and shared their pregnancy in March of this year.
“Baby girl Stephenson is born late this summer,” he captioned a photo of him and Carlyn holding the ultrasound.
Stephenson was about to participate in the competition but instead flew to South Carolina to join his wife
The catcher has been in Cincinnati since being called up to Major League Baseball in 2020
An Atlanta native, Stephenson married his wife Carlyn just before the 2022 MLB season
After Stephenson left, his team earned an 11–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals
After his departure, the Reds secured an 11-4 victory over the Cardinals.
The teams will return to the field on Friday at 8:15 PM and on Saturday at 2:15 PM.
About two years ago, also in St. Louis, a young Reds fan carded the catcher after he broke his thumb. The card read: ‘Go Reds! Get well soon!’