Watch: Washington Nationals All-Star Throws for First Time Since Arm Surgery

The road back from surgery is still a long one for this young Washington Nationals pitching star, but he’s begun the rehab process.

Apr 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Josiah Gray (40) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray was missed last season. A consistent member of the team’s rotation for two seasons, he started just two games before he suffered an elbow injury.

What was originally diagnosed as a right flexor strain turned out to be a partially torn UCL in his throwing arm, which led to Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure.

It basically meant Gray was not only done for 2024, but likely unable to pitch this season, too.

But, on Monday, he took to flat ground, six months after his surgery, and threw soft toss for the first time, marking his first steps in the long road to recovery.

First Throws! 6 months down! pic.twitter.com/bx630JfGRW

— Josiah Gray (@JoJoGray40_) January 27, 2025

“First Throws! 6 months down!” he posted on social media.

Surgeries like Gray’s typically take anywhere from 12-18 months to fully recover from. MASN’s Mark Zuckerman reported that the Nationals are hopeful Gray could be ready to throw by season’s end. That would be exactly 12 months from his surgery.

For reference, Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom didn’t pitch in a Major League game until 15 months after his Tommy John surgery, though he did take a few rehab starts in the minor leagues to ramp up.

Still, progress is progress for the 27-year-old who earned his first All-Star berth during the 2023 season.

That season he helped hold down the Nats’ rotation, as he went 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA and career high 3.1 WAR. He made 30 starts, struck out 153 and walked 80 in a career-high 159 innings.

That was a build-up from his 2022 season, which saw him earn a full-time starting rotation spot for the first time. He made 28 starts for Washington, went 7-10 and finished with a 5.02 ERA. He struck out 154 and walked 66, while giving up an NL-worst 38 home runs.

Gray joined the Nationals in 2021 as he was dealt by the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the Max Scherzer trade. Washington also received catcher Keibert Ruiz in that deal.

Gray was a second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2018 MLB draft and spent less than a year in their system before he was traded to the Dodgers in a deal that netted the Reds slugger Matt Kemp. He made his MLB debut and his first MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2021 just before the Scherzer trade.

Gray has a career record of 17-27 with a 4.84 ERA, with 382 strikeouts and 184 walks in 386.2 innings pitched.