Gray gave up four hits over six scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The right-hander has put together a very encouraging spring, allowing only one run -- and zero home runs -- across 12.1 innings with an 11:1 K:BB. Gray has the talent to put together a breakout campaign in 2023 if he's able to keep the ball in the park consistently.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Gets stretched out on back field
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Gray threw 82 pitches on a back field Thursday in order to work on his changeup rather than worrying about game results, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
The right-hander has looked good over three Grapefruit League starts, posting a 6:1 K:BB through 6.1 innings and, perhaps more importantly, not giving up a home run, and Thursday's outing under controlled conditions indicates he's stretched out enough for the beginning of the regular season. Gray is still only 25 years old, and while his big-league numbers so far have been marred by his inability to keep the ball in the park, he still has plenty of upside. Adding a viable changeup to his arsenal might both improve his strikeout numbers and help him reduce his homers.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Looking good to start spring
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Gray gave up three hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Facing a young St. Louis lineup that gave prominent spots in the batting order to the likes of Nolan Gorman and top prospect Jordan Walker, Gray breezed through the first two frames after needing only three pitches to strike out Brendan Donovan to lead off the game. The right-hander hasn't given up a run through his first three spring innings and is locked into a rotation spot for the Nationals, but Gray will need to find a solution to his long-ball woes -- he's served up 57 homers in 219.1 big-league innings so far in his career -- if he's going to become a reliable fantasy asset.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Adding cutter to mix
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Gray threw nine pitches in a scoreless inning Sunday against the Mets, and five of them were cutters, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
The right-hander added the pitch to his arsenal this winter after managing a 5.17 ERA and brutal 2.34 HR/9 through his first 219.1 big-league innings over the last two seasons. Gray's strikeout rates still offer plenty of optimism that he can develop into a quality pitcher, but the 25-year-old has a lot to prove before he can be considered a reliable fantasy option.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: No more starts this season
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Gray will not make another start this season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
He would have been on turn to take the ball Tuesday or Wednesday, but Cory Abbott, Paolo Espino and Erick Fedde will be the starters for the road series against the Mets. Gray doesn't turn 25 until December, but this was undoubtedly a rough first full season in the majors. The 6-foot-1 righty posted a 5.02 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 154 strikeouts across 148.2 innings while going 7-10 in 28 starts.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Quality start in no-decision
Rotowire
Gray did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings against Atlanta. He struck out two.
Gray got back on track Wednesday with his first quality start since Aug. 15. The only damage came via a solo homer off the bat of Matt Olson in the second inning, as he only allowed three other batters to reach base on the night. The start comes as he had allowed a miserable 18 earned runs in 19.1 innings over his previous four outings. He will take a 5.02 ERA into his next start.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Falls to Marlins
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Gray (7-10) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings as the Nationals were downed 5-2 by the Marlins. He struck out three.
For the first time since June 8, Gray didn't allow a homer while also walking less than two batters, but it still didn't result in a particularly effective outing. The right-hander has been tagged for at least four runs in four straight starts, and while his numbers on the season aren't good, he's gotten even worse since the All-Star break with a 6.57 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 46:25 K:BB through 50.2 innings over his last 10 trips to the mound. A career-high workload of 142.2 innings may be at least partially to blame for his late-season regression.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: One bad frame Friday
Rotowire
Gray didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 win over the Marlins, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four.
All four runs off the right-hander crossed the plate in the second inning, with a two-run home run by Lewin Diaz being the big blast. Gray otherwise held Miami in check though, and he got taken off the hook for his 10th loss when the Nationals rallied in the seventh inning. His main issues remain, however -- Gray has served up at least one homer in 13 straight starts and walked multiple batters in 10 of them, a combination that has left him with a 6.32 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over that stretch despite a 10.0 K/9.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Shaky outing Thursday
Rotowire
Gray did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks over 3.1 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out three.
Gray was not at his best as he allowed nine runners to reach base, including two home runs and three walks, but he was able to avoid the loss as the Nationals scored 11 runs on the day. The 24-year-old has now allowed at least one home run in each of his last 12 outings dating back to June 25 and has walked at least three batters in five of those. His ERA has increased more than a full run from 3.95 on June 18 to 5.06. He will try to get back on track in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for next week against Miami.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Mauled by Mets
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Gray (7-9) took the loss Friday, coughing up six runs on six hits and four walks over five innings as the Nationals were downed 7-3 by the Mets. He struck out two.
Four of the hits off the right-hander went for extra bases, including homers by Eduardo Escobar and Pete Alonso. It's the sixth time in his last nine starts Gray has served up multiple long balls, and he carries a shaky 6.08 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.4 HR/9 and 54:22 K:BB through 47.1 innings over that stretch.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that Gray will make his next start Friday against the Mets at Citi Field, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Unless he's needed in an emergency out of the bullpen over the next three games, Gray will be returning to the mound Friday on 11 days' rest. The Nationals' decision to skip Gray's turn through the rotation was a matter of workload management, and it's possible that the Nationals deploy a six-man rotation in the final five weeks of the season or pass him over for a start on at least one or two more occasions in an effort to keep his innings in check. When he's available to make starts, Gray isn't expected to face any major restrictions, though the Nationals likely won't have him push far past 100 pitches in those outings.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Getting skipped in rotation
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Manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that Gray will have his turn in the rotation skipped this week as the Nationals aim to manage his innings load, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Gray had been lined up to start this weekend against the Reds, but the Nationals will instead call up prospect Cade Cavalli from Triple-A Rochester to fill his spot in what's shaping up to be a six-man rotation for Washington. Though Martinez noted that Gray won't be shut down after having accumulated 123.1 innings through his 23 starts this season, the right-hander won't necessarily make every turn through the rotation over the final six weeks of the campaign. Dougherty speculates that the soonest Gray will make his next start will come during the three-game series against the Mets that begins Sept. 2.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Workload being monitored
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Gray has already set a new career high in innings pitched this season, and the Nationals are keeping a close eye on his workload and in-game mechanics, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "We're looking at kind of the wear and tear, how he reacts in-game, a lot of mechanics -- is he using his lower half ... is he flying open?" manager Dave Martinez said Saturday night. "We'll keep an eye on a lot of stuff."
The right-hander is fourth in the league in innings pitched by a second-year starter behind Alek Manoah, Shane McClanahan and Logan Gilbert, but Gray also tossed far fewer innings in 2021 than any of that trio. With Erick Fedde (shoulder) expected to return from the IL this week and the Nats having a few scheduled off days over the next couple weeks, they will have opportunities to skip Gray in the rotation if they feel he needs extra rest. The 24-year-old has a 4.67 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 123.1 innings on the season, with a strong 10.2 K/9 balanced by a rough 2.3 HR/9.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Struggles with control
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Gray didn't factor into the decision during Saturday's 2-1 loss to San Diego, allowing one run on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
Gray put runners on in every frame and could have fared far worse had he not escaped bases-loaded jams in the first and third innings. The 24-year-old was able to find the zone with only 55 of his 102 pitches while the five free passes mark his highest total of the season, and he's issued multiple walks in six of his last seven turns. Gray's 3.9 BB/9 rank second worst among 59 qualified starters, though his 1.31 WHIP is decent thanks to a 13th ranked .256 BABIP. He carries a 4.67 ERA into his next start, scheduled for next weekend against Cincinnati.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Fans 10 in no-decision
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Gray did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings in a 5-4 win over the Cubs. He struck out 10.
Ian Happ took him deep twice, but otherwise it was a strong outing for Gray, as he tossed 105 pitches (67 strikes) en route to his second straight quality start and eighth of the season. Long balls remain the right-hander's Achilles' heel, however -- he's served up at least one homer in nine straight starts and has a 5.94 ERA over that stretch thanks to a 3.1 HR/9, despite a 1.34 WHIP and 11.5 K/9.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Sleeper pitchers for Week 20 (Aug. 15-21)
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Gray had a nice bounce-back start against the Cubs last time, once again leaning on his slider over his fastball to keep the ball in the yard. He'll get the Cubs again for the first of two starts this week, though the second matchup at San Diego is a bit scary.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Quality start against Cubs
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Gray didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Cubs, allowing two runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The right-hander took a shutout into the seventh inning before fading, but the Nationals' bullpen simply made things worse after Gray exited the game. He had to settle for his seventh quality start of the season and first since July 6, but he still got taken deep once again -- his eighth straight outing in which he's served up at least one home run. Gray's 6.14 ERA over that stretch hides an otherwise impressive 54:14 K:BB through 44 innings, but until he learns to keep the ball in the yard, he'll be a volatile fantasy option.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Sleeper pitchers for Week 19 (Aug. 8-14)
Rotowire
Gray has fallen victim to home runs more recently, but he remains an excellent swing-and-miss pitcher who'll be facing off against a strikeout-prone Cubs lineup this week. Expect a rebound performance.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Ambushed by Phillies
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Gray (7-8) took the loss Friday as the Nationals were downed 7-2 by the Phillies, surrendering six runs on five hits -- including four home runs -- and three walks over four innings. He struck out four.
Three of the long balls came in the first inning before J.T. Realmuto capped the barrage in the third with a two-run shot. Gray got the hook after 79 pitches (46 strikes) having served up multiple homers for the fourth time in his last five trips to the mound, a gruesome stretch in which he's compiled a 7.20 ERA and 1.44 WHIP despite a superficially successful 34:11 K:BB through 25 innings. Gray now has a 2.4 HR/9 for his big-league career, and the 24-year-old will never come close to reaching his full potential without first solving his homer woes.
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Nationals' Josiah Gray: Tagged with four runs
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Gray (7-7) allowed four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings Sunday, striking out six and taking a loss against the Cardinals.
Gray allowed just one run through three frames before he served up a three-run shot to Corey Dickerson in the fourth. The 24-year-old righty posted an unsightly 6.75 ERA with a 36:10 K:BB through five starts in July. Gray is now sporting a 4.59 ERA across 102 innings this season. He's lined up to start in Philadelphia next week.
