ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — San Diego Padres’ second baseman Luis Rengifo was carted off the field in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against Tampa Bay after spraining his right knee.
The Padres said after Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Rays that Rengifo will fly back to San Diego to undergo further evaluation.
“This one stings a little bit more than normal,'' Padres' manager Craig Stammen said. "Just losing Luis, that situation is tough for all of us to handle.''
Rengifo dropped to the infield dirt after throwing wildly on a relay to home plate in an attempt to get Tampa Bay's Cedric Mullins. The throw sailed wide of catcher Luis Campusano, allowing two runners to score on the play and tying the game at 6.
After being attended to by training staff, Rengifo required assistance to get to his feet before being loaded onto the back of a medical cart.
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, Tampa Bay designated hitter Yandy Diaz hit a line drive to center that bounded off the base of the wall. Center fielder Jackson Merrill grabbed the carom and threw to Rengifo.
The play caught Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls and Mullins near third base. As Rengifo was chasing Walls to third, Mullins ran for home, forcing the Padres’ second baseman to throw across his body to the plate. As soon as the ball left his hand, Rengifo fell to the ground.
Xander Bogaerts entered the game at shortstop and Jake Croneworth moved to second for San Diego.
“We’re not thinking about the game,″ Croneworth said. ”We’re thinking about our guy.″
Rengifo entered Saturday hitting .242 for the season and was hitting .301 in the previous 36 games and reached base in 30 of 37 games, including Saturday when he led off the seventh with a walk to begin a three-run rally that put the Padres ahead 6-3.
The 29-year-old started the season with the Milwaukee Brewers, but was designated for assignment and then released by Milwaukee on June 23. He hit .205 in 57 games with the Brewers.
Since signing with the Padres, Rengifo has appeared in 38 games, hitting .292 with four home runs.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
San Diego Padres left fielder Luis Rengifo is carted off the field after getting injured during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Known for two violent wrecks at Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece experienced a much different ride at NASCAR's hometown track Saturday night: a trip to victory lane.
Preece won the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona in overtime to secure the final playoff spot for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Preece, who ferociously flipped cars at Daytona in 2023 and again in 2025, moved to the front during a green-white-checkered finish when leader Zane Smith got bumped, started spinning and slammed into other cars on the last lap. Preece took the checkered flag under caution and edged Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final berth in the postseason finale.
“This is redemption,” said Preece, whose victory landed two RFK cars into the 16-driver Chase for the championship. Chris Buescher is the other.
“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece said. “Those guys, that 60 (car), we’re fighters. When you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. ... Last year, there were a lot of keyboard warriors saying I was nothing. Well, we just kicked their butts tonight.”
Preece expressed confidence all week, but he found himself needing a victory late to pass Shane van Gisbergen for the last playoff spot. Van Gisbergen finished 27th after pitting during the final caution and taking four tires.
“Shame we’re not in it,” said van Gisbergen, who won twice during the regular season but missed the playoffs under NASCAR's new format that puts more emphasis on season-long results that victories.
Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric locked up the other two available spots. Wallace, Cindric, van Gisbergen, Preece and Brad Keselowski started the night vying for the final three spots in the 10-race Chase.
Wallace, who was nearly a lock to make the 16-driver field when the green flag dropped, claimed his spot with a seventh-place finish in the opening stage. Cindric avoided trouble all night, finished sixth and advanced without much fanfare.
Daniel Suarez finished second in the race, followed by Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Van Gisbergen won Stage 1 and created more of a cushion on Preece, who was caught up in a three-car crash as he neared the finish line. Preece raced his way back to the front in Stage 2 and picked up much-needed points with a second-place finish behind Ryan Blaney.
But it came down to the final lap. Preece needed to win to get in — and he pulled it off in dramatic fashion.
“I’m a racer. I know what it takes to build speed,” Preece said. “So every man and woman at RFK, thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I could go to the moon tonight.”
Tom Cruise is getting back behind the wheel for a follow-up to “Days of Thunder.” The 64-year-old Cruise announced Saturday at Daytona he will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle.
He said he wants to show audiences “the speed, the excitement and all that danger and stuff.”
Anne Hathaway will co-star as a team owner and engineer in the film scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on June 2, 2028.
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will drive a familiar-looking No. 48 in his final Cup Series start. Johnson unveiled his paint scheme for his Toyota in the 2027 Daytona 500 by driving a ceremonial lap around the track before Saturday’s race. The gray-and-blue scheme melds the three main sponsors during Johnson’s record-setting racing career: Lowe’s, Ally and Carvana.
Johnson’s final start will come in the 69th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 21, 2027. Hendrick Motorsports loaned Johnson the No. 48 for his last ride.
“Seeing this car for the first time brings back a lifetime of memories,” Johnson said.
Riley Herbst was scratched from the race because of “lingering effects” from a crash last weekend. Harrison Burton replaced Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota and finished 12th.
Herbst was involved in a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday, with his car backing into the outside barrier before being struck again.
The 10-race Chase for the championship begins at Darlington Raceway next Sunday.
See AP’s full auto racing coverage here
Ryan Preece, center, celebrates with his crew after winning the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chase Elliott (9) leads Ryan Preece (60) through the front stretch at the half way point of the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Actor Tom Crusie exits the building after attending a drivers meeting before a NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Shane Van Gisbergen (97) comes in for a pit stop during the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Kyle Larson (5) and Chase Briscoe (19) lead a group through the front stretch during early laps in the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
