Jacob deGrom's Thursday night outing on the outskirts of Disneyland came to a screeching halt. Following two innings on the hill against the Los Angeles Angels, the Texas Rangers pulled deGrom due to right triceps fatigue. Prior to being pulled, deGrom had given up six hits, one walk and two runs, throwing 53 pitches. As the Angels' broadcast returned for the bottom of the third inning, a video was shown of deGrom expressing discomfort after throwing a pitch in the bottom of the second to second baseman Adam Frazier, who went on to hit an RBI single in the at-bat. Peyton Gray relieved deGrom, with the right-hander being one of five relievers Texas used in an eventual 7-0 loss. "Im not too concerned," deGrom, who's expected to undergo imaging Friday, said about the injury after the loss, according to MLB.com. "Hopefully Ill make my next [start], well see. Tonight, it just there in the second it was tight and just didnt want to loosen up. I havent really had that before. Just see how it is tomorrow [Friday] and then come up with a plan. Weve been doing a lot to treat that area. Thats what I normally do in my routine. But this last, whatever, week, I guess, it just didnt recover, and then I felt it tonight there in the second. "They [the Rangers] made the decision that it was not best to go forward." On the season, deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, owns a 3.95 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and a 98 ERA+, while posting 147 strikeouts and 1.7 wins above replacement over 120 innings pitched (23 starts). deGrom's ERA and ERA+ are career-worsts. While the 38-year-old deGrom has been plagued by elbow and shoulder injuries, among other issues, over his career, he has been relatively healthy over the last two years, being scratched from just one start this season due to a hip strain and recording a 2.97 ERA and an 0.92 WHIP over 30 starts in 2025, earning an All-Star nod in that season. On the injury front, though, Texas is without right-handers Jack Leiter, who's dealing with an ankle injury, and Nathan Eovaldi, who was placed on the injured list earlier this week with posterior elbow inflammation. As for how the Angels scored their seven runs on Thursday night, Frazier and center fielder Mike Trout each had RBI singles in the bottom of the second, with Los Angeles later stringing together a four-run fifth inning. In said frame, the Angels got an RBI single from shortstop Denzer Guzman, a two-run single from right fielder Josh Lowe and an RBI force-out from left fielder Jose Siri, who then had an RBI single in the seventh. All nine starters for the Angels had a hit. Meanwhile, they got six scoreless innings from right-hander Walbert Urea, marking his second shutout in three outings. The loss was the Rangers' third consecutive defeat, with them losing three out of four to the Angels in a four-game series. While they have a losing record (60-62), the Rangers are just a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the No. 3 American League wild-card seed and two games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.

Skip Bertman addresses his players as LSU head baseball coach before a Men's College World Series game against Alabama June 6, 1997 at the Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Taylor/Allsport/Getty Images)Getty Images via Getty ImagesJ. Stanley Skip Bertman, who guided LSU baseball to five national championships before enjoying a seven-year run as the schools athletic director, died Friday. He was 88.As a coach, Bertman led the Tigers to national championships in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000. Only two other coaches have won five Mens College World Series national titles. During an 18-season tenure that began in 1984 and concluded in 2001, he oversaw 11 MCWS appearances and authored an 870-330-3 record.Current LSU head coach Jay Johnson, responsible for piloting the vaunted program to its two most recent national championships, wrote in a statement on Friday that Bertman is the greatest college baseball coach of his lifetime. He explained how he treasures the relationship he forged with Bertman in his five years at the helm.The mentorship, and most importantly, the friendship we built is easily one of the best, most rewarding, and special relationships I have ever had, Johnson said in the statement.He noted: Coach Bertman was so far ahead of his time while leading the LSU Tigers, and as a young coach just starting my journey, I watched, studied and admired his incredible skills of leading, motivating, teaching, coahcing and ultimately cultivating what became The Powerhouse of college baseball.Being able to share the 2023 and 2025 national championships with Coach Bertman watching is something I wouldnt trade for the world. The impact he made and legacy he has left on the state of Louisana and college baseball is beyond remarkable and will never be duplicated.A statement from Head Coach Jay Johnson on Skip Bertman's passing. pic.twitter.com/MaVLhWFnkD LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) August 14, 2026Throughout Bertmans time as AD, he hired four coaches who went on to win national titles as well. That group included head football coach Les Miles and head baseball coach Paul Mainieri.Miles spearheaded the Tigers on the gridiron for 12 seasons from 2005-16. In the process, he took them to BCS national championship games. In their first appearance, they brought home the title, defeating Ohio State at the end of the 2007 season.Mainieri, meanwhile, returned LSU to prominence shortly after Bertmans administrative stint, orchestrating their MCWS title in 2009. Few people have had a greater impact on LSU than Skip Bertman," LSU current AD Verge Ausberry said in a statement on Friday."As the greatest college baseball coach of all time, and later as our athletics director, Skip developed a championship standard and culture that still guide us today. Personally, he was a dear friend, mentor and advisor, and Im forever grateful for the trust and faith he placed in me to serve this institution. I will continue to honor Skip by leaning into the lessons he taught me every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this time.LSU head baseball coach Jay Johnson (left) smiles with former Tigers head coaches Paul Mainieri (center) and Skip Bertman (right) before a game against Maine on Feb. 18, 2022, in Baton Rouge, (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton, File)AP Photo/Matthew HintonThis story is being updated.

The steady flow of exciting hitters continues, as Kaelen Culpepper and Zac Veen were promoted in the past week, joining the likes of Max Clark and George Lombard Jr., who made their debuts in the vicinity of the MLB Trade Deadline.Things are far less exciting on the pitching side, as we havent seen the emergence of exciting new starters and the closer situations on many of baseballs weakest teams are as clear as mud. Wise fantasy baseball managers will invest in the new hitters while streaming starters with favorable matchups.Hitters to addMickey Moniak, OF, Rockies, 38%: Not only is Moniak having a terrific season (.862 OPS), but the Rockies remaining schedule virtually guarantees stretch-run success for their hitters. Starting on Monday, the team will play 22 of their final 38 games at Coors Field, where the team thrives and Moniak has a spectacular lifetime .997 OPS. And among the 16 road contests, four will be played against a Washington pitching staff that ranks 27th in ERA and three will come at power-inducing Yankee Stadium. Moniak and fellow outfielder Cole Carrigg (26%) should each see their roster rate surge by 20%.Zac Veen, OF, Rockies, 12%: The fantasy community added another member to a deep pool of appealing Colorado outfielders when Veen was recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday. The 24-year-old had a cup of coffee in the majors last year (34 AB) but had spent the entirety of 2026 in the Pacific Coast League, where at the moment of his promotion he ranked 1st in OPS (1.037), 2nd in homers (24), 2nd in RBI (87) and 4th in runs (82). He also chipped in 18 steals. Given his five-category skill set and the hitter-friendly nature of Coors Field, Veen will have immense upside if given a full-time role.Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Twins, 8%: Perhaps its the fact that George Lombard Jr. (49%) plays in a major market, or perhaps its that Lombard was promoted a few days earlier, but we now see a 41% gap in the roster rate of two rookie shortstops who have similar skill sets and minor league numbers. In a nearly identical number of minor league contests this season, Culpepper tallied 31 HR+SB while Lombard accumulated 26. Culpepper hit .271 with 64 strikeouts, while Lombard batted .284 with 76 whiffs. Managers who missed out on Lombard should pivot to Culpepper, who will be the regular shortstop on a team that has scored more runs than the Yankees.Zack Gelof, 2B/3B/OF, Athletics, 40%: Gelof returned from the IL on Monday and will hopefully reclaim the skill improvements that he had previously shown this year. Strikeouts have always held back the infielder from showcasing his power and speed skills, but by cutting his whiff rate to 25.5% this year, he has hit .280 with 13 homers and eight steals in 239 at-bats. There is plenty of infield playing time available on an injury-impacted Athletics roster, which will help to keep Gelof in the everyday lineup.Cam Smith, OF, Astros, 19%: Those in deep formats can give a fresh opportunity to Smith, who has shown significant improvement (.791 OPS) in the second half. The youngster has dealt with poor luck this season (.264 BABIP) and his expected stats are all notably better than his actual marks. Smith could stand to improve on his 24.4% strikeout rate, but it isnt a terrible mark, and his 11.4% barrel rate ranks in the 76th percentile. Smith is still figuring out how to maximize the benefit of his 99th percentile bat speed and should continue to improve down the stretch.Pitchers to addJ.T. Ginn, SP/RP, Athletics, 34%: Ginn has been the most consistent starter who cannot seem to raise his roster rate past the 50% threshold this season. The right-hander has logged solid ratios (3.41 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) and in two starts since returning from a brief IL stint, he has allowed four earned runs over 12 innings. Ginn has thrown at least six innings in 11 of his past 16 starts, and his ability to work deep into games has allowed him to rack up eight wins over that stretch. Its especially advantageous to limit his reliance on an Athletics bullpen that has posted a 5.80 ERA.Sean Manaea, SP/RP, Mets, 29%: Through the rubble that is the Mets 2026 season, Manaea has reemerged as a valuable starter. The lefty was surprising sent to the bullpen at the end of spring training before recovering his rotation spot on June 13 as a deep group of starters was slowly depleted by injuries. In 11 starts, Manaea has logged a 3.50 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 61:18 K:BB ratio, and he punctuated those solid numbers when he struck out 11 Pirates across seven innings of one-run ball last time out. He has more upside than any starter with a sub 30% roster rate.Clayton Beeter, RP, Nationals, 17%: Although it happened almost four months too late for those who drafted Beeter, he has finally emerged as the Nats closer. The trendy late-round pick in March drafts started slowly and endured a forearm strain that caused him to be dropped in most leagues during April and May. But since the All-Star break, Beeter has collected five of the teams six saves, while blowing just one opportunity.Hes now an option in 12-team leagues, as he misses enough bats to overcome his mediocre control skills. And although I still pin my hopes on the upside of new Pirates reliever Luke Weaver, Pittsburghs recent slump has prevented us from determining Weavers role, which makes Beeter the preferable option for those who need saves right now.Hitters with favorable weekend matchupsJake Burger, 1B, Rangers, 21%: A powerful right-handed hitter, Burger typically fares best against lefties (.815 OPS) and away from his pitcher-friendly home park (.731 OPS). He should thrive at homer-happy Sutter Health Park this weekend, when the Athletics will roll out two southpaw starters. Burger and his teammates should also excel late in games against a bullpen with a 5.80 ERA.Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics, 4%: On the other side of the same series, Bolte is in perfect position to continue his August surge (.856 OPS) when he plays three games at his hitter-friendly homer park against the Rangers, who will deploy left-handed starters on Saturday and Sunday. Bolte bats leadoff against lefties and stays in the lineup versus right-handers, and in addition to swinging a hot bat, baseballs fastest player has significant base-stealing upside.Pitchers to stream this weekend (ranked in order of preference)Landen Roupp vs. COL (Friday, 37)Hayden Wesneski vs. SEA (Saturday, 22)Noah Cameron @ LAA (Sunday, 47)J.T. Ginn vs. TEX (Saturday, 34)Jared Jones vs. BOS (Saturday, 34)Sean Manaea vs. WSH (Saturday, 29)Christian Scott vs. WSH (Sunday, 31)Grayson Rodriguez vs. KC (Friday, 7)Jackson Jobe vs. CWS (Friday, 33)Brady Singer vs. MIA (Saturday, 23)Cody Bradford @ ATH (Sunday, 8)Robert Gasser @ LAD (Friday, 11)Brandon Pfaadt @ ATL (Friday, 36)Grant Holmes vs. ARI (Saturday, 25)Patrick Sandoval @ PIT (Sunday, 13)Gage Jump vs. TEX (Friday, 16)Jacob Lopez vs. TEX (Sunday, 15)

Someone has finally stood up for Jayden Daniels in saga no. 5. Ryan Clark, who wore no. 2 when he played at LSU, took to X to post about the situation on Thursday. Clark wrote, The cease-and-desist is not about the number itself or about DJ Pickett. It is about respectand the process by which that number was ultimately given out.Clark also said that he had spoken with people on both sides of the issue and hopes that this situation can be resolved in a respectful manner that honors everyone involved and, most importantly, recognizes what Jayden Daniels accomplished for LSU. Ryan Clarks postMORE: Jayden Daniels wants LSU drama handled privatelyThe more people on both sides say, it does seem like no one handled this situation very well. This is one of those unwritten rules situations where everyone feels like the everyone else is wrong. LSU never retired Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels numbers. It would have been nice if theyd communicated with Daniels about a recruit wanting to wear his old number. And Daniels probably shouldnt feel like hes being disrespected because someone is wearing the number he shared with multiple players in the same locker room during his two seasons at LSU. MORE: Jayden Daniels reportedly made odd Heisman Trophy request with LSUAnd Pickett, who just wanted to wear the number hed worn since he was a kid, is stuck in the middle. Its really a ridiculous situation all around. now Clark is trying to do damage control, insisting that Jayden wants to focus on the excitement around the team, how well camp is going & winning games for the Commanders.Getting a lawyer involved and causing a distraction for both his former college and his current team in the middle of training camp makes it seem like hes focused on something besides winning games for the Commanders. Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter

Aussies Smith and Leek stun PDC stars to reach New Zealand Darts Masters quarter finals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Australian pair Raymond Smith and Adam Leek caused major upsets on the opening night of the SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland to set up an all-Antipodean quarter-final.Smith produced a superb display at Spark Arena, averaging 99.81 and converting 86% of his doubles to defeat third seed Stephen Bunting 6-2. He sealed the win with a clinical 124 checkout on the bull after earlier 92 and 90 combinations.It feels pretty awesome. Eight years since I last played on a PDC stage, so Im pretty stoked, said Smith.I think I played really well. What were doing in the ADA, DPNZ and ANZ Premier League is setting us up for this sort of stuff. What the PDC is investing in the Oceanic region is showing in the results.DARTS PLAYER MERCHANDISE AND COLLECTABLES AT OUR DARTSWORLD STORE!Leek, on his World Series debut, survived six match darts to beat Ross Smith in a last-leg decider. After trailing 4-1, he won five of the final six legs.Its the best feeling in the world. Im lost for words, said Leek.I tried to compose myself as much as I could, and thankfully that last dart went in. Its a dream come true to play on this stage, so Ill make sure Im ready for the next one and well see how we go.Elsewhere, top seed Gian van Veen averaged over 97 in a 6-1 win against Jonny Tata and will face Jonny Clayton, who came from 4-2 down to beat Haupai Puha.Gerwyn Price whitewashed Mark Cleaver 6-1 and meets Damon Heta, who staged a comeback against Ben Robb that included 11- and 12-dart legs and a 105 finish.Josh Rock edged Simon Whitlock 6-4, while James Wade whitewashed Kayden Milne 6-0. They meet in the last eight.The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final take place on Saturday at Spark Arena, starting with van Veen vs Clayton, followed by Wade vs Rock, Price vs Heta, and Smith vs Leek.INTERESTED IN GLOBAL DARTS?Checkout DartsWorlds Dedicated AreaVan Veen and Clayton will kick off the evenings proceedings, before Wade and Rock battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. Price the only former champion in this years field then faces Heta, with Smith and Leek rounding off the quarter-final action in what promises to be a night of pure Oceanic drama.2026 SkyCity New Zealand Darts MastersFriday August 14Gerwyn Price 6-1 Mark CleaverAdam Leek 6-5 Ross SmithJames Wade 6-0 Kayden MilneJosh Rock 6-4 Simon WhitlockGian van Veen 6-1 Jonny TataJonny Clayton 6-5 Haupai PuhaDamon Heta 6-4 Ben RobbRaymond Smith 6-2 Stephen BuntingSaturday August 15 (1900 NZST)Quarter-FinalsGian van Veen v Jonny ClaytonJames Wade v Josh RockGerwyn Price v Damon HetaRaymond Smith v Adam LeekBest of 11 legsSemi-FinalsVan Veen/Clayton v Wade/RockPrice/Heta v Smith/LeekBest of 13 legsFinal vBest of 15 legsAll Saturday matches to be played in Draw Bracket order.For the full stories and more in depth coverage of everything darts, together with the latest issues of their legendary publications, head on over todartsworld.com

No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza had a solid preseason debut on Thursday night, tossing a touchdown to cap his second possession. Mendoza ended up playing 53 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps in the contest against the Cardinals, finishing his night 10-of-16 passing for 97 yards with a TD and no interceptions. He also rushed twice for 6 yards.It was great to get out there, get my feet wet, especially the first drive, Mendoza said in his postgame press conference. It felt a little sped up because so much anticipation and excitement. However, I feel like my teammates around me protected me very well, and they helped me. They helped slow me down, and I think it was a good experience.Mendoza noted that his emotions were where he thought they would be following his first pro action.Especially as a quarterback, you don't want to get too emotional, because you want to be able to process, make the right checks, make the right reads, and I felt that it was good emotion, Mendoza said. Getting in the huddle with my guys, and in a sense, being able to break through and finally play a snap in the preseason, which is going to be faster than practice, just how it is with adrenaline, and then the regular season gets faster than that, and on and on. So, I think it was a good experience to get my feet wet.If there was one thing that surprised Mendoza in his debut, it was the speed of the game. Mendoza mentioned team minority owner Tom Brady spoke to the squad on Wednesday night and noted that it was going to be different from what the rookies had previously experienced.[A]ll of us haven't played football in a little while, so I think the speed's always going to be a little amped up, Mendoza said. I thought the guys did great out there today. There was one play where I scrambled to the right, and usually sometimes I'll be able to get the edge, maybe scramble for two or three yards, and it's like, 'Wow, I got it a little faster than I thought.' So, I throw the ball away and try to make the smart play to best serve my teammates. So, I would say definitely faster and hit harder. So, surprise, but no surprise.Mendozas next opportunity to play will be on Thursday night when the Raiders take on the Texans in Houston.

Check out who the experts at CBS Sports are taking in the pair of title fights on Saturday

With the official start of the 2026 NFL preseason now underway, Thursday night's games provided an in-depth look at several notable backups, rookies, and players fighting for a spot on their respective teams' 53-man rosters. Among the most impressive NFL debuts came from Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Drew Allar. After fellow rookie quarterback Carson Beck put on a memorable performance in the Hall of Fame Game, Allar matched the hype that Beck built, emerging as one of the stars of Thursday night's NFL action.It certainly didn't hurt that, when Allar entered the game in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers, his very first pass gained 70 yards to wide receiver Kaden Wetjen. He followed that up by scoring on a 3-yard run shortly after, and the hype train was already heading out of the station.Drew Allar's best plays from 153-yard, 3 total TD performance in preseason win over the Packers.@AllarDrew@Steelerspic.twitter.com/0wH4wfcEkY NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026While the play itself was a great storyline for a rookie, his final stat line was enough to make anyone do a double-take. Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, also adding one additional rushing score.Even facing the Packers' reserve defense, it was hard to deny that Allar impressed in his NFL debut. How his NFL future turns out is anyone's guess, but one thing that many fans were left asking following his big night, is what led to Allar's slide in the 2026 NFL Draft?Why did Drew Allar fall in the 2026 NFL Draft?Allar, who played in college for Penn State, was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in 2022 and the No. 1 overall quarterback by 247Sports. The hype was there, the talent was apparent and his upside was briefly put on display as a freshman that season, as he threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns in very limited action.Allar was the starter in 2023 and posted a strong 25 touchdown passes (with four rushing scores) and only two interceptions. However, he completed just 59.9% of his passes for 2,631 yards. Fortunately, he improved in both areas in 2024, increasing his completion percentage to 66.5% while throwing for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in year No. 3.This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why did Drew Allar fall so far to Steelers in 2026 NFL Draft?

The race for three coveted spots in the 2027-28 Premier League season is on as the 2026-27 Football League Championship season begins Friday at the Molineux Stadium.Wolves host Blackburn Rovers at 3pm ET Friday in an appetizer for an eight-game Saturday and two-match Sunday, as 24 teams begin 46-match gauntlets in the hopes of promotion to the Premier League.MORE Completed Premier League summer transfers, ins and outsSome big names came down last season and some pretty notable clubs failed to take their promotion chance last season, making this Championship campaign a hotly-anticipated one.Who went up, who went down, who's in, and who are the favorites to compete for the honors? Read on...When does the 2026-27 Championship start and end?The Championship season kicks off Friday, August 14 and runs through May 1, 2027.How do the Championship promotion playoffs work?The promotion playoffs have expanded this season and will include six teams instead of four.The third- and fourth-placed teams on the table will receive passage to the Championship playoff semifinals, which remain two-legged.Teams who finish fifth through eighth will play single-legged 'eliminators' 5th v 8th and 6th v 7th for the rights to reach the semifinals.The semi-final winners will play for a Premier League place in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium.Championship 2026-27 season preview: TeamsBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBolton WanderersBristol CityBurnleyCardiff CityCharlton AthleticDerby CountyLincoln CityMiddlesbroughMillwallNorwich CityPortsmouthPreston North EndQueens Park RangersSheffield UnitedSouthamptonStoke CitySwansea CityWatfordWest Bromwich AlbionWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersWrexhamHow many American or USMNT players are in the Championship?Middlesbrough have three after USMNT players Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten transferred to the Northeast this summer to join Aidan Morris.Towering striker Patrick Agyemang remains on the books at Derby County, while George Campbell plays for West Bromwich Albion.Damion Downs remains with Southampton, while Kristoffer Lund has moved to Birmingham City.Why are Southampton starting the season in last place?Saints were docked four points for a spying scandal at the end of last season. They were also removed from the Championship promotion final.Championship 2026-27 season: Who will be promoted to the 2027-28 Premier League?As usual, the Premier League's three relegated teams are favorites to go right back up one more than the others.West Ham United held on to many players and are widely-expected to be one-and-done in the Championship, while Wolves and Burnley are close behind them. Middlesbrough's right there, too.Investment has propelled Birmingham City and Wrexham into any discussion, while Southampton are in the mix despite their preseason points disadvantage.Norwich City, Sheffield United, and Millwall are amongst the dark horses, and surely others will emerge to compete for promotion this season.Championship 2026-27 season: How to watchThe Championship's season streams many games on Paramount+ with select games on the CBS Sports Network.

The NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season just took another notable name off the board.Front Row Motorsports announced Friday that Noah Gragson has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the organization through at least the end of the 2027 Cup Series season. The agreement also includes additional options that could extend the partnership even further, giving both driver and team long-term stability as Front Row continues building its three-car program.For Gragson, the new deal ends any speculation about where he might land next season and signals that Front Row believes the 28-year-old remains a key piece of its future.Front Row Motorsports doubles down on Noah GragsonGragson joined Front Row Motorsports ahead of the 2025 season as the organization expanded to three full-time Cup Series entries.While his first season with the team has produced mixed results, the organization clearly sees enough upside to commit to him beyond next year.The extension keeps Gragson behind the wheel of the No. 4 Ford through 2027, while also including team options that could keep the relationship together even longer.Front Row did not announce sponsorship details for Gragsons 2027 campaign, saying more information will be shared at a later date.The announcement also removes Gragson from one of the more intriguing names in the driver market heading into next season, allowing him to focus solely on finishing the 2026 campaign.Gragson brings experience as Front Row continues to growAlthough still just 28 years old, Gragson already has considerable experience across NASCARs top three national series.Before arriving at Front Row Motorsports, he competed in the Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club and Stewart-Haas Racing after making his series debut with Beard Motorsports in the 2022 Daytona 500.Gragson also enjoyed a successful OReilly Auto Parts Series career, collecting 13 victories while driving for JR Motorsports after earlier making three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.He is also a two-time Craftsman Truck Series race winner.With the extension complete, Gragson enters Richmond weekend 31st in the Cup Series standings. While a Chase berth is no longer mathematically realistic, Front Rows decision demonstrates confidence that the organization believes its long-term investment in Gragson will pay dividends over the next several seasons.The move also gives Front Row another important piece of continuity as the team continues its climb in NASCARs premier series.