Washington Nationals Pitcher Josiah Gray to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

The Washington Nationals’ future won’t be available until 2025, but the team’s current struggles have taken a significant hit with the announcement that pitcher Josiah Gray will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Gray, 26, is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday, with the procedure to be determined by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister. The surgery will likely be a reconstructive Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure.

“It’s not going to be the end of my story,” Gray told the Associated Press. “But unfortunately, there were other plans behind the scenes, and unfortunately, I hit the hardest setback of all.”

Gray was the Nationals’ Opening Day starter this season but made only one other appearance before being shut down due to a right elbow/forearm flexor strain. He made five rehab starts during his recovery but was shut down again after allowing seven runs in three innings for Triple-A Rochester on June 30. An MRI over the All-Star break revealed the tear.

Gray and catcher Keibert Ruiz were the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top two prospects when they were traded to Washington with two other minor-leaguers in the 2021 deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to Los Angeles. Gray ends his 2024 season with nine strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings, a 14.04 ERA, and an 0-2 record.

In four seasons with the Nationals, Gray has a 4.80 ERA, 369 strikeouts in 378 2/3 innings, and a 17-27 record. Last year, he was the Nats’ lone All-Star and finished with an 8-13 record, 3.91 ERA, and 143 strikeouts in 159 innings.