On Wednesday night, Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that starting pitcher Josiah Gray underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure to further stabilize his elbow, ending his 2024 season. MASN’s Mark Zuckerman reported that Gray will miss a majority of the 2025 season too.
Josiah Gray had Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure earlier today. That knocks him out for the majority of the 2025 season.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 25, 2024
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Nationals’ Josiah Gray Out for Season with Tommy John Surgery
Gray was the Nationals’ Opening Day starter against the Cincinnati Reds back on March 28, but only made one other appearance on the mound a week later on April 4. In his two 2024 starts, he allowed a combined 13 runs on 15 hits in only 8 1/3 innings. Shortly afterward, the 26-year-old was placed on the injured list with elbow soreness, and he has since made a number of rehab starts for Triple-A Rochester.
According to Zuckerman, Gray learned last week that he had a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow, which led to the surgery.
Minor League Outings in 2024
During his 2 1/2 month stint on the IL, Gray had an impressive rehab start for Rochester on June 25, where he only allowed one run over six innings on 73 pitches, leading to some talk of activating him back then.
However, Washington had him make one more minor league start, which was the complete opposite of the previous one. On June 30, he allowed seven runs over only three innings, as he reported the elbow pain afterward.
Gray has Tommy John Company with Nationals
This is the first major injury for Gray in his career, but he is not the only Nationals pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery. He joins the company of Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Joe Ross, Erick Fedde, Cade Cavalli, Lucas Giolito, Tanner Rainey, and Mason Thompson.
Gray was one of the key prospects acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner back in July 2021. He then had a 5.02 ERA over 28 starts in his first full season with Washington in 2022, followed by his breakthrough year in 2023, where he finished with a 3.91 ERA in 30 starts, plus his first career All-Star selection.
What the Future Holds for Gray
The expected recovery time for Tommy John surgery is 12-18 months. As a result, Gray will possibly make his return to the mound for Washington late in the 2025 season.
Photo Credit: © Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
