Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray throws the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 4, 2023.

Nationals Opening Day starter Josiah Gray is out for the season and beyond with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.

The Nationals said Gray might not require Tommy John surgery to replace the ligament, but the details of the operation won’t be known until the 26-year-old is on the operating table.

“It’s a setback. We can all admit that,” Gray said. “But it is something, you know, you can grow from, you can learn from and come back better. And in talking with all my friends around baseball, I’ve been able to just understand that it is, you know, just a blip on the radar. It’s not going to be the end of my story.”

The right-hander was placed on the injured list with elbow soreness and forearm discomfort after two starts this season. He began a rehab assignment in June but his arm issues returned, leading to an MRI that uncovered the UCL damage.

If not Tommy John surgery, Gray would have an internal brace applied to the UCL to promote healing. He wouldn’t be cleared to pitch until later this year at the earliest.

Gray was the central figure the Nationals received from the Dodgers in the 2021 trade deadline swap that sent shortstop Trea Turner and right-hander Max Scherzer to Los Angeles.

Gray has made 72 career starts and has a record of 17-27 with a 4.80 ERA.

–Field Level Media