Nationals Get Great Injury Updates on James Wood, DJ Herz, Josiah Gray and More
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The Washington Nationals have ushered in some change to finish the 2026 regular season.
Their first move was to part ways with veteran right-handed pitcher Zack Littell. Then, they designated Miles Mikolas for assignment to make room for top prospect Jackson Kent's major league debut. That was followed by a bombshell report that CJ Abrams is getting moved to second base, which could have a seismic impact on this franchise going forward.
More moves could be coming down the line at some point, too. That's because some of the Nationals' injured players are starting to inch their way back to being available, as Washington got some great updates on multiple notable names.
James Wood Played Catch, Swung the Bat
James Wood was placed on the 10-day injured list back on Aug. 4 due to a left oblique strain he suffered against the Philadelphia Phillies. Those are tricky injuries to deal with, and few people believed that he would be back as soon as that 10-day designation.
However, it seems like he's on track to return before the end of the season. The Nationals revealed that Wood "progressed to playing catch at a distance of 90 feet" on Aug. 14. They also added that the star slugger took some swings "at 70% intensity" and also hit off the tee.
Getting Wood back will be huge. While Washington is a longshot to make the playoffs, it's important for this group to finish the year on a strong note after they surprised a lot of people around the baseball world with what they have accomplished to this point.
DJ Herz Dominates During Rehab Outing
From a big picture standpoint, this might be the most important update of them all.
DJ Herz, who underwent Tommy John surgery early during the 2025 season and last appeared in an MLB game in 2024, just dominated during his latest rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg when he threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts on Friday.
The left-hander has now put in back-to-back impressive starts on this rehab assignment, as he previously threw a scoreless inning with Single-A Fredericksburg on Aug. 8 where he gave up two hits but also struck out three batters.
Herz looked like he was on track to return in July before he was shut down with what was deemed to be a flexor muscle strain during his first attempt at his comeback. Hopefully, he stays healthy as he pushes towards his big league return. Because if he can pitch some innings to close out this year, then that will be a huge win for both Washington and Herz.
Josiah Gray Threw Live Batting Practice
Speaking of good news, Josiah Gray was able to throw in a live batting practice session at the Nationals' training complex on Aug. 14. He threw two innings, which equated to 30 pitches. That suggests he's inching closer to being sent on a rehab assignment to finish the season if everything goes well during his ramp up.
It seemed like Gray was going to be part of the equation this year despite not making the MLB roster coming out of spring training. But he was diagnosed with a flexor strain on March 23 and placed on the 60-day IL after that, which has prevented him from throwing a single inning this season.
Gray is no longer expected to lead this rotation at any point in his career, but he would be a nice piece to have as a long reliever or backend starter if he can turn himself into that type of pitcher when healthy. At the very least, it would just be good to see him pitch in the majors for the first time since 2024, which is when he underwent elbow surgery.
Connelly Early Progressed in His Throwing Progression
Finally, the Nationals announced that left-handed pitcher Connelly Early moved to playing catch in his throwing progression, which is a great sign after he was shut down during his rehab assignment due to forearm tightness.
That was a scary update when it was revealed what Early was dealing with. And despite him moving forward in his throwing progression, there is still a lingering fear that the left-hander might have to undergo some sort of Tommy John procedure at some point.
Whether or not he'll pitch again this season remains to be seen. But, for now, this at least is a positive when it comes to the former top prospect.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai