Nationals All-Star Josiah Gray Reveals The Extent of His Arm Trouble

Yet another promising young pitcher is the latest to join the growing ranks of injured hurlers, as the Washington Nationals have lost Josiah Gray to a flexor tendon injury.

Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray has been scratched from his start on Tuesday and placed on the 15-day IL pic.twitter.com/JHU8MM9HQf
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 9, 2024

It's a right elbow/forearm flexor strain for Gray, who goes on the 15-day IL for the first time in his young career. He was the Nationals Opening Day starter.

Luckily for Gray, medical reports Tuesday evening revealed no structural damage to his elbow ligament, and he may avoid the fate of so many others before him.

Josiah Gray says his strain is muscular. Got an MRI, which showed no damage to his elbow ligament. Spoke up quickly after first experiencing discomfort following his last start and hopes that helped keep this from being a more serious injury.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) April 9, 2024

The strain is just muscular, and Gray is hoping that reporting his discomfort early may have saved him from something more serious.

But obviously, something has been bothering Gray, as he's started the season getting pummelled to the tune of a 14.04 ERA, allowing 15 hits and 13 earned runs in 8.1 innings over two starts.

Gray is coming off his first All-Star season in 2023, when he was Washington's representative at the Mid-Season Classic, and posted a 3.81 ERA.

The 26-year-old was one of the key returns for the Nats in the vaunted Trea Turner/Max Scherzer trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2021. He struggled through his first full season in DC in 2022 with an ERA north of 5.00. But he started to show his immense talent last season.

Gray, for now, may avoid the catastrophic arm trouble that a parade of notable pitchers have experienced this season, a list that includes reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, the National League's best pitcher, Spencer Strider, Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito and Eury Perez.

Photo: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports