Josiah Gray

February 12, 2026

Hoping to be ready for Opening Day

Gray (elbow) is hoping to be part of the Nationals' Opening Day rotation, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Analysis

The once-promising right-hander is now 28 years old and has barely pitched the last two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024. Gray did make three brief rehab appearances in the minors late last season, and he had no setbacks this winter, so he heads into camp without any restrictions. "We obviously don't want to do anything that'll jeopardize his long-term health here," Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said Tuesday. "But he was pretty darn close to being fully built up at the end of last year, and then you had the full offseason to get into good shape. So we expect him to build up like any other starting pitcher competing for a job." Gray posted a 3.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 143:80 K:BB over 159 innings in 2023, and his return would bolster a rotation that has only one experienced arm in Miles Mikolas, who was signed to a one-year deal Wednesday.