Nationals starter Josiah Gray has partial UCL tear, needs season-ending surgery

Gray landed on the injured list in April with a strained right flexor muscle near his forearm and had been working toward a return, but his rehab start with Class AAA Rochester on June 30 prompted a closer look. His velocity dipped, and he allowed seven runs in three innings. Afterward, the Nationals shut him down and sought another opinion on his arm.

“Obviously it will end the year and take away some of next year, but I’m going to fight tooth and nail to get back here as soon as possible and help these guys win some games,” Gray said.

Gray is set to undergo surgery Wednesday, though he remained unsure whether he would have Tommy John, an internal brace procedure or a hybrid of the two — it depends on how significant the tear is. He plans to rehab in Washington so he can remain around the team.

“Obviously I can’t go out there and suit up and get strikeouts,” Gray said. “But I’ll hopefully be an encourager as much as possible. I’m just grateful for that and grateful to be here.”

Gray joined the Nationals in 2021 as part of the trade package for ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner. After a 2022 campaign in which he allowed an MLB-worst 38 home runs and walked a National League-leading 66 batters, Gray took a step forward in 2023. He pitched to a 3.91 ERA and earned his first all-star appearance, though he struggled in the second half. Manager Dave Martinez showed his confidence in Gray this spring, naming him Washington’s Opening Day starter.

Gray made two starts this season, posting a 14.04 ERA over 8⅓ innings. He hit the injured list in mid-April with a strained right flexor muscle near his forearm. Gray made five rehab starts in June, and after the fourth — an outing in which he allowed one run in six innings — Gray seemed poised to join the big league rotation again. Then came his fifth start, which didn’t go as expected.

“I felt like I was oh, so close to getting back here in this clubhouse and contributing to wins,” Gray said. “Unfortunately, hit the hardest setback of all.”

Gray already has talked with some of his fellow pitchers in the Nationals organization as well as Andre Jackson, who was previously part of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization with Gray and now plays in Japan. They helped give him a positive mind-set.

“Honestly, I’m at peace with it,” Gray said. “I’ve understood that a lot of people have setbacks in their careers, and unfortunately mine is this year, 2024. I want to come back stronger and better for it.”