WASHINGTON — Nationals right-hander Josiah Grey could have season-ending surgical procedure for a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, the group introduced Friday.
It will not be clear till Dr. Keith Meister operates on the elbow on Wednesday in Texas whether or not Grey’s damage would require an inner brace or Tommy John surgical procedure. The latter process may sideline him properly into subsequent season.
“He was emotional. I acquired emotional,” Nationals supervisor Dave Martinez stated of his dialog with Grey in regards to the damage. “He is particular as a result of he cares so much about this group.”
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An All-Star final season, Grey, 26, was Washington’s Opening Day starter in March however made solely two begins this yr earlier than being shut down with a sore elbow and forearm. He tried to rehabilitate the damage however felt fatigued throughout his final minor league rehab begin on June 30.
Martinez stated Grey had been progressing with out ache and solely felt a “useless arm” after the rehab begin. Grey had an MRI over the All-Star break that exposed the season-ending tear.
“It is a setback. We will all admit that,” Grey stated. “However it’s one thing, you recognize, you may develop from, you may study from, and are available again higher. And in speaking with all my associates round baseball, I have been in a position to simply perceive that it’s, you recognize, only a blip on the radar.
“It isn’t going to be the tip of my story.”
Grey was a prized acquisition for the Nationals within the July 2021 commerce that despatched Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers as Washington started rebuilding lower than two years after its World Collection title.
He’s 17-27 with a 4.80 ERA in 72 begins for Washington, going 8-13 with a career-best 3.81 ERA and pitching a career-best 159 innings final yr.
Grey plans to stay with the group throughout the early phases of his rehab.
“Clearly I am unable to go on the market and swimsuit up and get strikeouts, however I’ll hopefully be an encourager as a lot as attainable,” he stated. “I am simply grateful for that and grateful to be right here.”
The Nationals (44-53) entered Friday’s recreation in opposition to Cincinnati six video games out of the third and remaining NL wild-card spot, however with six groups forward of them. There are indications Washington is already waiting for subsequent yr. Proper-handed reliever Hunter Harvey was traded to Kansas Metropolis final week for third base prospect Cayden Wallace and the No. 39 decide within the novice draft, which the Nationals used to pick out catcher Caleb Lomavita.
Martinez stated he expects the group to be in a greater place when Grey returns.
“He’ll be again in a good time the place we really feel like we will be vying for an additional playoff spot, and it will be enjoyable for him,” Martinez stated.
The Nationals reinstated left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer from the 60-day injured listing on Friday and optioned right-hander Amos Willingham to Triple-A Rochester. Ferrer, 24, suffered a left lat pressure in spring coaching. He appeared in 39 video games for Washington as a rookie final yr, going 3-0 with a 5.03 ERA.
