Sports
Cup Series in need of another 'fantastic finish at Atlanta'
Feb 16, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images No race track did a better job last year with its racing product than Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the NASCAR Cup Series may be in for a repeat performance.
After last Sunday’s Daytona 500 concluded with yet another crash-filled finish, race No. 2 on the 36-race schedule, Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400, will begin the series’ normal grind each week.
Last year’s race at AMS was a thriller.
After taking the white flag, Daniel Suarez cruised the high side, while Kyle Busch shot into the middle lane above Ryan Blaney — three drivers racing it out side-by-side off Turn 4, each seeking his first 2024 victory.
It ended with Trackhouse Racing’s Suarez edging Blaney by .003 seconds in the fourth-closest finish in Cup history.
Now, NASCAR arrives at the 1.54-mile venue in Hampton, Ga., after what it claims was maybe one of the best 500s ever — at least from a numbers’ standpoint.
The sanctioning body announced Thursday that the Great American Race had produced the most-ever Daytona green-flag passes (16,389), most passes under green for the lead (331) and fourth-most lead changes in Daytona 500 history (56).
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is not buying the data about the race run at fuel-saving speeds.
On his podcast Actions Detrimental Monday, the No. 11 Toyota driver expressed his concern about the direction NASCAR is taking at the high-banked, 2.5-mile iconic track.
According to Hamlin, who prefaced the episode by saying that he knew it would come off as sour grapes, something needs to be done to make it more about the racing than the wrecking.
He cited his own data: The past six 500s have ended with major crashes, with three of the past four unfolding in a green-white-checker overtime.
“I hate the fact of how much luck is involved in NASCAR now,” said Hamlin, who was ahead while bidding to become the third driver to win at least four 500s. “It (should be about) making the moves at the end of the race to win. … I feel like we’ve lost that. It’s just a matter of wrecks at the superspeedway. I feel like the sport of it is going by the wayside for the sake of entertainment.
“The cars are way too easy to drive. They have way too much grip, way too much drag, and it creates a great optic on TV that these cars are two-by-two, three-by-three, but nobody is (really) passing nobody. We’re just riding.”
Hamlin, whose lone AMS victory was in 2012’s Fall race, contrasted last year’s thriller with what could have transpired last Sunday.
“We could’ve been three-wide, see who gets the biggest push here,” said the Toyota driver of the incident with Cole Custer’s No. 41 Ford. “That’s why we had a fantastic finish at Atlanta. Everyone makes such a big deal about Atlanta — three-wide, racing for the lead (off Turn 4). … They raced it out to the finish.”
If any speedway can get this sport pointed in the right direction with high-speed racing that perhaps will feature good action and a tight race to the checkers instead of a winner who was lucky to avoid a giant mess, AMS is surely that track.
The ultimate entertainment this Sunday should be at the AMS flagstand, not on the track’s back side in a hail of carnage and possible airborne cars.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers place 3B Josh Jung (calf) on 10-day IL
Jul 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) follows through on his single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images The American League West-leading Texas Rangers placed starting third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list on Saturday — retroactive to Wednesday — with a left calf strain.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers recalled infielder Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock before Saturday’s home game against the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Jung, 28, exited Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox after three innings with a left calf issue and has not played since. In 92 games this season, the 2023 All-Star is hitting .294 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. He is eligible to return to the active roster on Aug. 1.
Texas’ first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Jung has hit .264 with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs in 417 games with the Rangers.
Smith, 28, is in his third stint with the Rangers this season, batting .230 with one run and eight RBIs in 40 games. The versatile five-year veteran has played five positions in 2026, mainly seeing time at second base (34 games/30 starts).
In 496 games with Texas since being acquired from the New York Yankees in 2021, Smith has hit .236 with 32 homers and 136 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros put RHP Spencer Arrighetti (foot) on 15-day IL
Jul 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images In the thick of the American League West and AL wild-card races, the Houston Astros placed right-handed starter Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day injured list Saturday with nerve irritation in his foot.
Arrighetti, 26, left Friday’s start against the Chicago White Sox after one inning and 33 pitches due to the foot issue.
In a corresponding move, Houston recalled left-handed reliever Bryan King from Triple-A Sugar Land.
In 17 starts this season, Arrighetti is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA, allowing six or more earned runs in three of his final four starts before the All-Star break. The 2021 sixth-round pick, who debuted with Houston in 2024, is 15-23 with a 4.66 ERA in 53 games (52 starts).
The 29-year-old King has made 42 relief appearances with the Astros in 2026, posting a 2-3 record with a 3.40 ERA. Across his three MLB seasons, all with Houston, he is 8-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 138 relief outings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics activate star Nick Kurtz (thumb) from IL
![Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) takes first base as Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) misses a catch during the first inning] at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.](https://dailyfacthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/29355296.jpg)
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) takes first base as Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) misses a catch during the first inning] at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The Athletics activated All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz from the 10-day injured list prior to Saturday’s road game against the Minnesota Twins.
Kurtz sustained a right thumb capsule sprain and was placed on the IL on July 10 and the injury forced him to miss the All-Star Game. He had been elevated to American League starter when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (back) of the Toronto Blue Jays backed out.
Kurtz is batting second and serving as the designated hitter on Saturday.
Kurtz exited a 6-1 loss at Detroit on July 8 after 1 1/2 innings after he appeared to hurt the hand while trying to field a throw in the bottom of the first. The following day, he was the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Tigers.
Kurtz, 23, is batting .266 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs in 92 games. He was the unanimous 2025 AL Rookie of the Year with a .290 batting average, 36 home runs and 86 RBIs in just 117 games.
Third baseman Max Muncy was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. He was recalled by the A’s earlier this week and went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in two games.
Muncy, 23, is batting .223 with five homers and 20 RBIs over 48 games. He has a .218 average in 111 big league games over the past two campaigns.
–Field Level Media
Rangers place 3B Josh Jung (calf) on 10-day IL
Astros put RHP Spencer Arrighetti (foot) on 15-day IL
