Fan snaps selfie after basball player dives into the stand to take catch

A US baseball player who risked injury by diving into the stands to take a catch may have expected a helping hand up from a fan who dodged the flying star.

But instead, he became the unwitting subject of an opportunistic selfie.

Brandon Drury of the Arizona Diamondbacks made the athletic catch in the fifth innings of Wednesday night's clash against the Marlins in Miami.

After sprinting from his position far in the outfield, the MLB rookie ran out of room and had to leap into the seats to make a stunning catch.

As he slowly got to his feet and limped away, a nearby fan rushed to take his phone from his pocket to snap a selfie with the player.

The fan copped some abuse on social media, with a Twitter user calling him a "jackass" and others saying he should have helped Drury up.

However, a smaller number of users applauded the fan's quick-thinking.