Josiah Gray is back in a Nationals uniform, and for the final nine games of the season he will be working from the bullpen rather than reclaiming a spot in the rotation.
The 28-year-old right-hander was activated from the injured list Thursday, ending a long road back from elbow surgery and a second setback this spring. Gray, Washington’s Opening Day starter in 2024, has not appeared in a Major League game since April 4 of that season.
Gray’s route back to Washington
- Gray’s 2024 season was cut short by a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. He underwent surgery that July.
- He began a rehabilitation assignment late last season and entered Spring Training on track to rejoin the Nationals.
- A right flexor strain suffered in mid-March delayed that plan and kept him off the Major League mound longer.
- When Gray resumed his rehab work in the Minors, Washington used him in relief. The shorter outings allowed him to return without building the full starter’s workload.
- He was reinstated Thursday and will meet the Nationals in St. Louis for this weekend’s road series.
The bullpen assignment is a finishing-line role for this season, not a change in Gray’s long-term goal. He intends to compete for a return to the Nationals’ starting rotation next year.
Andrew Pinckney was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in the corresponding roster move.
A crowded final week
Washington has nine games remaining, with the expanded 28-man roster creating a few decisions as the club approaches the final week. Starters Connelly Early and DJ Herz are also trying to return from the injured list before the schedule runs out.
Manager Blake Butera said the club welcomes the chance to get healthy players back in the room, particularly players fans have been waiting to see. But he also stressed that the Nationals must be deliberate with limited games left and mindful of the current clubhouse.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Butera said before Wednesday’s game. “We’re getting some guys healthy, some guys that people want to see and talk about, and everybody is excited about that.”
Butera said the balancing act goes beyond simply choosing who deserves an opportunity. With the season nearly finished, the club must weigh need against preference while making sure returning players do not create uncertainty for teammates already holding roster spots.
For Gray, though, the immediate assignment is straightforward: get back on a Major League mound, contribute an inning or two out of the bullpen, and carry that clean bill of health into an offseason built around starting again.
