Washington Nationals starting pitcher Josiah Gray is out for the season. Gray, the Nationals' opening-day starter, will undergo season-ending surgery for a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow. Gray has been out since April with elbow issues and was shut down for the season on Friday. He gave a heartbreaking quote on his mentality after the news broke.
“I’m doing better than I expected,” Gray, 26, said. “… I’m at peace with it. I understood that a lot of people have setbacks in their careers, and unfortunately, mine is this year, 2024. But I’m going to come back stronger and better for it.”
Gray made only two starts before hitting the injured list and was starting to make his comeback when this heartbreaking news broke. He made five rehab starts but was shut down after his June 30 start. He was evaluated after that start and it was determined he needed surgery. The extent of the season-ending surgery, however, is not known yet. Whether it will be Tommy John surgery, an internal brace procedure, or a hybrid of the two will not be determined during surgery.
The Nationals are sitting five games out of the playoffs but have seven teams to jump in the National League Wild Card race. They have just a .4% chance of making the playoffs and now missing a key starter for good. With the trade deadline approaching, expect Washington to sell their pieces at the deadline.
Nationals' trade deadline outlook after Josiah Gray injury
After the heartbreaking end of Josiah Gray's season, the Nationals are looking ahead to the July 30 trade deadline. Any pending unrestricted free agent should be on the move. Outfielder and designated hitter Jesse Winker is not only a pending free agent but is due only $1.5 million this season. A fit that makes a lot of sense for Winker is a return to the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have powered through injuries and sit just 3 games out of the playoffs. They have battled through injuries all over the diamond this year and Winker would be a cheap replacement to fill out their lineup and eat innings in the outfield. They also sport a deep prospect pool that the Nationals could use to supplement their pipeline.
Gray's injury begins to make an impact on the deadline beyond Winker. Trevor Williams is another starter who is out with an arm injury for the Nationals. The 32-year-old righty is a pending free agent and posted a 2.22 ERA in the first two months of the season. The pitching core has a lot of young, promising arms that the Nationals do not want to trade at this deadline. The only starting arm that could go is Patrick Corbin, who has been among the worst starters in baseball since signing a big deal in Washington. In the bullpen, Reliever of the Year candidate Kyle Finnegan has one year of control beyond this season. Relief pitching is a big need at the deadline and the Nationals could also get a solid return for him.
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