The Washington Nationals revealed devastating news on Friday when the team revealed that All-Star right-hander Josiah Gray is set for season-ending surgery.
Gray suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, though the extent of the damage will not be fully known until he goes under the knife on Wednesday.
He could receive an internal brace, which would speed his recovery time to reenter the lineup in the nation’s capital.
The alternative is Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery, which would keep Gray off the mound well into the 2025 campaign.
Nationals insider Bobby Blanco revealed the news of Gray’s loss for the season on Friday.
The 26-year-old was the Opening Day starter for Washington but was only able to make two starts due to soreness in his pitching arm.
Since his early setback, he and the team focused on rehabbing the sore right arm through minor league work, but that proved unsuccessful.
The MRI that revealed the partial tear was performed over the All-Star Break.
Gray was acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 as the Nats entered a rebuilding phase shortly after winning the World Series in 2019.
The right-hander has a career mark of 17-27 and an ERA of 4.80.
Gray was a National League All-Star last year, though he finished 8-13.
The Nationals enjoyed some solid stretches in the season’s first half, but a slump heading into the All-Star Break has the team mired in fourth place in the NL East at 44-53.
