ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager was a late add to the lineup for the Texas Rangers against San Diego on Wednesday night, ending a two-game absence after the star shortstop got hit by a pitch on his left wrist.
The reigning World Series MVP was in his usual No. 2 spot in the order when the Rangers reposted their lineup about an hour before the game.
Josh Smith, who has been getting most of the work at third base with Josh Jung sidelined by a broken right wrist, switched from shortstop to third and moved down a spot in the order to No. 3.
Manager Bruce Bochy didn't rule out Seager returning in his pregame meeting with reporters, saying Seager was continuing to get better since getting hit Saturday night. He went to the ground before getting up and walking off the field after getting struck on a check swing in Baltimore.
Initial X-rays revealed no broken bone, and that was confirmed by an MRI on Monday after the Rangers got home from the trip.
Seager entered the game with a seven-game hitting streak but was just 11 of 52 over the past 14 games. He was second on the team with 15 home runs.
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Texas Rangers' Corey Seager sits on the ground after being hit by a pitch thrown by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager watches his solo home run off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden 's campaign provided lists of approved questions to two radio hosts who did the first interviews with him after his faltering debate performance, both hosts said on Saturday.
Biden's Thursday appearances on Black radio shows in the critical states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were his first chances to show he could answer questions and discuss his record after a debate in which the 81-year-old repeatedly struggled to complete sentences and press his case against Republican Donald Trump.
Radio host Earl Ingram said Saturday that Biden aides reached out to him directly for his interview that aired Thursday and sent him a list of four questions in advance, about which there was no negotiation.
“They gave me the exact questions to ask,” Ingram, whose “The Earl Ingram Show” is broadcast statewide across 20 Wisconsin outlets, told The Associated Press. “There was no back and forth.”
But while the interviews were meant as part of an effort to restore faith in Biden’s ability not just to govern over the next four years but to successfully campaign, the revelation instead created questions about whether Biden was capable of performing in ad-hoc, unscripted moments following his disastrous debate performance.
Appearing with Ingram earlier on CNN, Andrea Lawful-Sanders — host of “The Source” on WURD in Philadelphia — said that she had received a list of eight questions, from which she approved four.
The Biden campaign noted that it is common practice to suggest questions and said it did not make acceptance of the questions a prerequisite for the interviews themselves.
Lauren Hitt, spokesperson for the Biden campaign, said it is “not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer,” adding that the questions sent to both Ingram and Lawful-Sanders “were relevant to news of the day,” including Biden’s debate performance and “what he’d delivered for Black Americans.”
She also pointed to a Virginia TV station saying Trump’s campaign called off an interview after the debate after the station's reporter refused to agree to conditions on his questions. The Trump campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on its interview practices or if such appearances had been canceled over subject matter.
Biden argued on Ingram's show that much more than his own political future was in jeopardy, saying: “The stakes are really high. I know you know this. For democracy, for freedom ... our economy, they’re all on the line.”
Ingram asked four questions in his 18-minute interview. He asked if Biden could “speak to to some accomplishments that we may or may not be familiar with about your record, especially here in Wisconsin,” what was at stake for Black voters in the election, what Biden would say to people who believe their vote doesn't matter, and if he could address his debate performance and a remark Trump made during the debate about people crossing the border and taking what he called “Black jobs.”
“I didn’t have a good debate. That’s 90 minutes on stage. Look at what I’ve done in 3.5 years," Biden said in answering the last question before speaking for several minutes about Trump, the economy and veterans' issues.
Since the interview with Biden, Ingram said all six phone lines for his weekday broadcast have been jammed with callers seeking to weigh in on whether Biden should quit the race, estimating that more than two-thirds want Biden to continue.
When asked about the set list of questions, Ingram — who has been in radio for 15 years and said he doesn't consider himself a journalist — said that the notion of receiving a set list of questions for a guest gave him pause, but also presented a perhaps once-in-a-career opportunity.
“I probably would never have accepted, it but this was an opportunity to talk to the president of the United States,” he said.
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
President Joe Biden arrives at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Friday, July 5, 2024, from a campaign rally in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden boards Air Force One to depart at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wis., following a campaign visit, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters on the tarmac before departing at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wis., following a campaign visit, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
