The Washington Nationals will have an interesting battle when it comes to their starting rotation.
There are a few players locked into those roles, as Cade Cavalli is the likely Opening Day starter and it was made clear that Brad Lord will be given every opportunity to be a starter, while Foster Griffin and Miles Mikolas were signed to fill out the rotation.
Who grabs the fifth spot is the question mark, as Josiah Gray, Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker will all be competing for that opening this spring. When it comes to Gray, the right-hander is reportedly fully healthy as he enters camp.
Josiah Gray Is Healthy Entering Spring Training
Josiah Gray of the Washington Nationals | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
It’s been a long absence for the right-hander. After making just two starts in 2024 before he hit the injured list with a flexor strain, he eventually underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him on the shelf for the rest of that season and all of 2025.
He was able to throw 5 2/3 innings on a rehab assignment to close out last year. However, he wasn’t able to make his return to the major league mound despite some speculation that he would get the green light to pitch in the bigs again.
But after the long layoff, Gray is reportedly healthy as the Nationals get spring training underway. Manager Blake Butera was on Junks Radio and said Gray “is fully healthy and ready to go.”
❝[Josiah Gray] is fully healthy and ready to go.❞
— Blake Butera on @JunksRadio
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) February 13, 2026
That is a huge development for Washington. While Gray has not quite been the starting pitcher anyone envisioned after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers as one of the headlining pieces in the Trea Turner and Max Scherzer deal, the 28-year-old showed flashes in 2023 when he was named an All-Star and finished with a 3.91 ERA across 30 starts.
Not having him for essentially two full seasons has been tough for the Nationals, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how he might look following such a long layoff. However, this rotation needs all the help they can get. And having a healthy Gray is a huge step in the right direction.
It will be interesting to see how Washington handles Gray during spring training. Per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said they “expect him to build up like any other starting pitcher competing for a job,” which suggests he won’t be handed anything.
But that will be determined at a later date. Right now, the Nationals got good news that one of their key starters is healthy entering spring training after such a long layoff following Tommy John surgery.
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