SAN FRANCISCO — Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right flexor muscle near his forearm. The move is retroactive to Saturday.
The Nationals recalled righty Joan Adon from Class AAA Rochester. Adon started in Gray’s place and pitched four innings of one-run ball in the Nationals’ 5-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. But the win was overshadowed by the knowledge that Washington will be without one of its young, promising starters for an undetermined period of time.
“It sucks,” Gray said. “Ever since I joined the Nationals, I made every single start that I was scheduled to make. And I prided myself on doing that. So obviously it’s a little bit of a gut punch to come to the ballpark and not be slated in the five-man rotation for the foreseeable future.”
Gray felt more than his typical post-start soreness after his most recent outing Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He threw a bullpen session and still didn’t feel like himself, so he got an MRI exam. The results revealed that his ulnar collateral ligament was intact, but there was inflammation. Gray said the next steps are rest and rehab, adding that there is no timetable for when he will start throwing again.
“He’s just going to take some time off and build back some strength and then we’ll try to get him back as soon as possible,” Manager Dave Martinez said.
Gray, 26, entered the campaign hoping to build on a 2023 season in which he earned his first all-star appearance but struggled in the second half. He had a tough start against the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day, when he allowed seven runs in four innings. Then he allowed six runs in 4⅓ innings against the Pirates, giving him a 0-2 record and a 14.04 ERA. Gray didn’t blame his injury for his poor performance, reiterating that the discomfort came after his second start.
This will be the first trip to the injured list in the major leagues for Gray. His only other stint on the IL came in 2021, when he was a minor leaguer in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ system.
Back then, he injured his shoulder and missed seven weeks. He vowed at the time to establish a proper routine and follow it to remain healthy. Still, the injury bug found him.
“It’s a harsh reality of what we do as pitchers, especially in today’s game,” Gray said. “Injury risk is going up. It definitely gives you a sense of reality in what we do. Unfortunately, I have to miss some time, but I don’t think it’s going to change anything I really do.”
Gray joins a growing list of pitchers dealing with arm injuries. In the National League East alone, Atlanta Braves righty Spencer Strider is on the IL and Miami Marlins righty Eury Pérez was set to undergo Tommy John surgery this week. New York Mets righty Kodai Senga is sidelined with a right capsule strain.
In addition, Cleveland Guardians righty Shane Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, needs surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. New York Yankees righty Gerrit Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, is rehabbing in hopes of a return from nerve inflammation in his right elbow. And Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez experienced soreness in his left elbow this week.
A long-term injury for Gray would be a major blow to the Nationals, whose young arms are a key part of their rebuild. Washington is already without Cade Cavalli, who made his major league debut in August 2022. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2023 and has yet to face live hitters.
Adon, 25, made his 26th career start Tuesday, making him the most experienced option for the Nationals to call up. The club has starting pitching depth in its system, but most of its prospects are not considered ready for the majors. Martinez wants to give righty Jackson Rutledge more time to get into a rhythm at Class AAA. Lefty Mitchell Parker had made just three starts at Rochester before this year, and fellow lefty DJ Herz hadn’t pitched above Class AA.
Adon has always been plagued by an inability to consistently attack the strike zone. But for most of his outing Tuesday, though, he was able to stay around the zone. Adon allowed a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to Patrick Bailey, but avoided any further damage.
The next inning, CJ Abrams blasted a two-run home run into the right field seats, then tacked on an RBI single in the fifth to single-handedly stake the Nationals to a 3-1 lead.
In the sixth inning, right-hander Jordan Weems allowed an RBI single to Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed. Lane Thomas collected the ball in right field and made a throw toward home plate, but the ball ricocheted off catcher Riley Adams’ glove. Weems backed up the plate, but was situated on the wrong side and the ball rolled into the Giants’ dugout, allowing another run to score to tie the game at 3. It wasn’t tied for long, though — Trey Lipscomb delivered a sacrifice fly in the Nationals’ half of the inning to claim the lead for good.
And a day that started with an injury to one of the Nationals’ best starters turned into a night with a scare for one of its best relievers. Hunter Harvey was hit on the palm of his hand with a 95 mph comebacker in the eighth. He bent over behind the mound for a few moments trying to shake it off, but eventually exited with head athletic trainer Paul Lessard.
Kyle Finnegan entered for a four-out save. In the ninth, he loaded the bases with no outs. But he escaped without allowing a run and the Nationals escaped with their first series win of the year.
“Yeah, not ideal,” Finnegan said. “Bases loaded, nobody out. But we won the game and that’s why we’re here. I’m proud of myself for not giving in there and knowing that there’s always a way out.”