Yet another pitcher will be out for the year due to season-ending surgery.
Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, the team announced.
Gray joins a string of other pitchers who have been sidelined for the rest of the year with arm injuries, including Braves ace Spencer Strider, Orioles pitchers John Means and Tyler Wells, Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga and Mets pitcher Brooks Raley.
ESPN reported that Gray’s elbow surgery is scheduled to be performed by Dr. Keith Meister on Wednesday.
The evaluation could reveal the need for Tommy John surgery, but no decision has been made yet.
“He was emotional. I was emotional,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of meeting with Gray after hearing the news of the injury. “It’s special because he cares so much about this team.”
Gray, 26, also spoke about his elbow injury.
“It’s a setback, we can all acknowledge that,” Gray said, “but it’s something we can grow from, learn from and come back better from. In talking with all my baseball friends, I’ve been able to understand that this is just a blip in the road.”
“This won’t be the end of my story,” he later added.
Gray, 26, started just two games this season before suffering an injury in early April.
This injury-shortened season followed a career-best season in 2023, when he posted a 3.91 ERA, struck out 143 batters and earned his first All-Star appearance.
Gray was originally acquired by Washington in July 2021 as part of the trade that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers.
Gray made his MLB debut that year and posted a career ERA of 4.84.
