RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Ed Sheeran can sing and play ball.
The singer took a break before his Loop Tour performance in Seattle to take batting practice with Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez, also known as J-Rod. In a video posted by the Mariners and Major League Baseball on their social media accounts, Sheeran appears inside the batting cages taking swings at pitches from a simulated pitching machine, as well as soft tosses from Rodríguez.
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Rodríguez appears in the video cheering on Sheeran, whose swing connected with every pitch. “I’m surprised, though — I’m surprised,” says the athlete, who at the end of the video, exits the protective tent and shakes hands with Sheeran, who successfully hit all three balls.
The two connected during the artist’s tour stop in Seattle on Aug. 1, when the singer hung out with Rodríguez, who was still in the clubhouse after a Mariners win, according to an article on MLB.com . Following batting practice, J-Rod signed a baseball bat for Sheeran, who gifted the athlete suite tickets to his concert and promised to send him a custom guitar.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour kicked off Jan. 16 in Auckland, New Zealand, following the release of his eighth studio album, Play , in September 2025. The tour features arena performances in Australia and Latin America and is currently in North America.
Following its release, Play debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 . The album’s Persian-infused lead single “Azizam” reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 while surging into the top 10 across several of Billboard ’s radio airplay charts.
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