NEW YORK — In a bizarre twist that sounds more like a tabloid headline than real life, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has found himself at the center of a social media storm — and it’s not for his fastball.

During the second inning of last night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, eagle-eyed fans noticed something odd: Gerrit Cole’s official Instagram account had liked a photo of a model — a sultry beach-side selfie posted just moments earlier by a lesser-known influencer with the handle @LexiLush_.

Within minutes, screenshots began circulating online. The post, which featured the caption “sun’s out, buns out 😘”, suddenly had a suspiciously familiar like: @gerritcole45.

Fans immediately flooded X (formerly Twitter) with memes, jokes, and accusations.

“Gerrit out here scouting talent while giving up doubles?” one fan posted.
“Forget pitch counts, someone check his screen time,” said another.

To make matters worse, Cole wasn’t even in the dugout at the time — he was in the bullpen, apparently getting ready to pitch.

By the end of the game, which the Yankees narrowly lost 4-3, the damage was already done. According to sources inside the organization, Cole has been fined internally by the team for “conduct unbecoming of a team leader”, and issued a private apology to teammates and coaching staff.

When asked about the incident post-game, Cole looked visibly uncomfortable and avoided the question:

“I’m focused on baseball. That’s all I’ll say,” he mumbled before exiting the interview area.

The Yankees front office has yet to issue a formal public statement, but insiders say they’re “not happy” with the attention the incident is bringing — especially with the team struggling to stay in the AL East race.

Meanwhile, the MLB press is having a field day. Headlines this morning include:

• “Gerrit Cole Throws a Like, Not a Strike”

• “Yankees’ Ace Swipes Right on Distraction”

• “From Cy Young to Simping Online: The Gerrit Cole Saga”

As for @LexiLush_? She’s already gained 45k new followers overnight — and pinned the like with the caption: “Guess he likes curveballs too 😉”