In what has become a bit of a rarity for the Washington Nationals, especially over the last two and a half weeks, the team got to enjoy an off day on Monday. After playing 17 games in 17 days and coming out with an impressive 9-8 record overall, the Nationals players got some time to catch their breath and reflect for a second.
For me, I got to do the same thing, as taking a step back from immediate coverage of the team's most pressing needs got to take a step back for a second. Instead, I got to do some catching up on some headlines and noteworthy things that might have fallen through the cracks over the past week or so.
One of those is notable, as it involves the Nationals' 2024 Opening Day starter in righty Josiah Gray, and his even more uncertain MLB future. The road back to the majors for Gray has been a very difficult one for him over the past year and change, but it finally seemed like he was getting close.
However, per an injury update shared by the Nationals a little bit over a week ago, Gray is now undergoing additional testing and has been shut down from throwing for a bit. This is a tough blow to what had already been a tough journey for Gray, and hopefully there is nothing seriously wrong with him.
After making his first few appearances back in spring training, it seemed as if Gray was right on the cusp of getting back to the majors. The velocity was not quite all the way back yet, and it was presumed that he would build back up in AAA with Rochester and would then be a top option to come back if a righty went down.
That did not end up being the case, as Mitchell Parker ended up being the guy who got the call, and perhaps this injury for Gray has a lot to do with it as well. At this point, you just want to make sure that he is okay and doesn't try to rush himself back, as his health is the most important thing. As soon as updates become available we will write something about it, but for now, this is all we have.
Do you think Josiah Gray will be able to return to the Nationals at some point this season? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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