Josiah

Gray

Gray threw 15 pitches in his first game action since last September. He entered the contest out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. The 28-year-old righty was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball roughly a half-decade ago before injuries derailed his promising career.

This is great news for Gray who hasn’t pitched in a game since September of last season following a litany of arm injuries. Most recently, it was a flexor strain that cropped up in spring training. Once a top prospect who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers, Gray hasn’t pitched in a major league game since April, 2024.

Gray hit the injured list at the end of spring training with a right flexor strain and hasn’t been cleared to resume throwing. The 28-year-old’s promising career has been derailed by injuries the last few years. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the near future.

Gray was set to open the year back at Triple-A Rochester working his way towards a return to Washington’s rotation for the first time since April, 2024. The 28-year-old right-hander’s once-promising career has been derailed by injuries the past couple seasons after making 58 starts for the Nationals from 2022-2023. He was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball roughly a half-decade ago before being shipped from the Dodgers as part of the Trea Turner and Max Scherzer trade back in 2021.

Gray will get a chance to ramp up in the minors after missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. Hassell being optioned down is likely good news for Joey Wiemer’s chances of winning a bench spot.

Gray surrendered a hit and a walk with two strikeouts. It’s his second spring start of the season for the 28-year-old, and was in the low 90s with his four-seam heater. Gray seems like to be a part of the rotation for the Nationals to open 2026, but there’s not enough upside to suggest he’s worthy of rostering to start the campaign.

Gray was able to whiff three in his spring debut while allowing two hits and no walks. The right-hander missed all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he’s one of the few Washington hurlers who offers some potential intrigue. Fantasy managers probably shouldn’t take the risk just yet, but he’s certainly worth monitoring.

The 27-year-old hurler missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made it back to make a few minor league rehab starts at the end of the season though and will be able to participate in his normal offseason routine this winter. He should be a full go when pitchers and catchers report in February. Gray will make the same $1.35 million that he took home while rehabbing in 2025.

Gray will not make it back to the big leagues before the regular season wraps up this weekend, but he’s on track to be a full-go without any restrictions heading into spring training. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2025 campaign recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He’ll get a head start on his offseason throwing program after making it through three minor league rehab starts.

The 27-year-old hurler threw 45 pitches in the ballgame. Nationals’ acting manager Miguel Cairo told reporters on Friday that the team will make a decision over the weekend whether or not to give Gray one start at the big league level next week before the season concludes. With Mitchell Parker being shifted to the bullpen, it sounds like the door is open for Gray to get one start with the Nationals and finish the season on a high note.