It's been a long time since Gray was able to make a contribution for the Nationals, as his last major-league action came April 4, 2024. Since then, he's undergone Tommy John surgery in July of that year, endured a lengthy rehab that only began to ramp up last September, and then dealt with a right flexor strain that cropped up this spring. Gray was able to begin a new rehab assignment at Single-A Fredericksburg in mid-August but has been limited to short outings, working his way up to Double-A Harrisburg on Wednesday and tossing a shutout inning. It's still not clear if the Nationals have any plans to take him off the 60-day IL and find a spot for him on the 40-man roster before the end of the season, but at the very least Gray seems to be on his way to wrapping up the campaign in good health.

Gray has spent the entire season on the injured list after suffering a right flexor strain during spring training. He was cleared to begin his rehab assignment at Single-A Fredericksburg last week and covered three innings between two appearances, striking out three batters while allowing one run on four hits and one walk. Gray was deployed in relief in both of those outings, so the Nationals may be leaning toward bringing him back from the 60-day IL as a multi-inning reliever rather than stretching him out for a starting role.