Wade Miley has, deservedly so, been quite the popular figure over the last couple of days.

After no-hitting Cleveland last Friday -- the fourth no-hitter in MLB so far this season -- Miley has been met with a flood of attention, including messages from former coaches, managers and teammates alike.

“My phone, it’s hard to keep the battery charged right this moment,” Miley said. “It’s starting to fade a little bit.”

• Miley earns 1st Player of Week nod for no-no

Miley said he hasn’t seen any T-shirts commemorating the no-hitter, but he has seen a picture depicting him as The Incredible Hulk, the superhero who has become part of the no-no's lore.

The most memorable quirk of Miley’s no-hitter was the temporary Hulk tattoo his 4-year-old son, Jeb, applied prior to the game. Several days removed from the feat, Miley’s tattoo is “hanging on by a thread.” He doesn’t have a replacement on hand, but he does possess an extra Captain America, should he want to dip his toes into the superhero realm once more.

Miley, however, does not appear to be looking for a repeat.

Miley joked that he would go “three innings max” in his next start against the Rockies after throwing a season-high 114 pitches, the first time his pitch count crossed the century mark since Aug. 19, 2019. Nick Castellanos, who Miley referred to as the “clubhouse genius,” evoked memories of Johnny Vander Meer, the legendary Reds left-hander who threw no-hitters in back-to-back starts in June 1938.

“I’m good,” Miley said. “That’s a long time to be out there.”

According to reliever Heath Hembree, who played with Miley on the Red Sox in 2015, some members of the bullpen were oblivious to the history that was unfolding. When the final out was the recorded, reliever Amir Garrett questioned why the bullpen was sprinting to the infield.

“There’s some guys in the bullpen, it was the seventh, eighth inning, and they had no idea what was going,” Hembree said. “[Garrett] was like, ‘He’s going back out for the ninth, how often do you see it?’ Had no idea he had a no-hitter going.”

As monumental as the achievement was, Miley emphasized that his attention was now on his next start against Colorado. Reds manager David Bell said the inability to enjoy a moment for too long is part of the game, but he also noted that Miley’s mentality is part of what’s enabled him to have longevity.

"The next time he goes out to pitch is going to be just as important to him,” Bell said. ”He’s done a great job with that. I think he enjoyed it the way you’re supposed to, and now he’s moved on.”

Akiyama in busy outfield mix
Shogo Akiyama rejoined the Reds last Friday after beginning the season on the injured list, but he returned to a crowded outfield where at-bats will be hard to come by.

Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos, of course, are the staples of Cincinnati’s offense. In a season where offense has trended downwards, Winker (181 wRC+) and Castellanos (164 wRC+) have raked. But there’s also been the emergence of Tyler Naquin, who has taken full advantage of his early opportunities.

In 27 games, Naquin has slashed .271/.364/.541 with seven home runs. The Stacast metrics support Naquin as well, as he ranks in the 91st percentile for barrel rate and the 93rd for average exit velocity.

Between Winker, Castellanos, Naquin and Nick Senzel -- who has played more at second base to make room for Naquin in center field -- opportunities for Akiyama have dwindled. But according to Bell, he has taken the right approach to the situation.

“His attitude towards it is perfect,” Bell said. “He’s going to stay ready to pinch-hit, come off the bench and doing everything he can, so that when the time does come where he’s getting more regular starts, he’ll be ready for that.”