Nationals Starter Josiah Gray Set to Make His Return for First Time This Season
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Health is starting to return for the Washington Nationals when it comes to some of their injured arms.
Highly-touted prospect Jarlin Susana made his long-awaited season debut with High-A Wilmington after undergoing surgery on his lat late last year, and reminded everyone why he is considered a special talent and one of the top minor league pitchers in the sport. DJ Herz looked sharp in his return to the mound, which could result in him returning to the big league roster at some point.
Now, after things seemed to be trending in the right direction for right-hander Josiah Gray, he is also set to make his season debut. Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reported that Gray is scheduled to pitch in Tuesday's game for Single-A Fredericksburg.
Josiah Gray Officially Sent on Rehab Assignment
This is a key step for Gray when it comes to his possible major league return this year. Following undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024, he came back and pitched in three games for Washington's minor league affiliates during September of last season. But he wasn't able to toe the rubber on the big league mound.
It seemed like that was going to come this year. He was healthy during spring training, and while the Nationals decided to option him to Triple-A Rochester to begin the season with the aim on having him improve some things down in the minors, they had a plan to use him in the majors whenever he was ready. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him again. He suffered a flexor strain and was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Because of that long absence, it's unclear what the 28-year-old is going to look like when he does pitch in a live game. But starting his rehab assignment is a signal that he is at least getting closer to working his way back to the MLB potentially at some point this season.
Washington's injuries and transactions page isn't too sure that's going to happen, though. They have Gray's projected timetable at some point in late-September or even in 2027. That would be disappointing if that turned out to be the case. But because he suffered a flexor strain after returning from Tommy John surgery, the training staff is likely operating with extreme caution as he gets set to pitch in live games.
If everything goes well and Gray avoids any setbacks, it will be interesting to see how the Nationals opt to utilize him if he's healthy enough to make his major league return. With Brad Lord seemingly getting the opportunity to join the rotation to close out the year, there's a chance that Washington moves Gray into the bullpen as a long reliever.
That's for way down the road, though. The first step is for Gray to stay healthy on his rehab assignment. And if that happens, then he could be back in the majors for the first time since 2024.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai