Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow/forearm flexor strain, forcing him to miss his scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants. In his two starts this season, Gray struck out nine batters but also allowed 13 runs and 15 hits, continuing a trend of inconsistency.
Last year, Gray finished with an 8-13 record, a 3.91 ERA, and 143 strikeouts in 159 innings. Despite being the Nationals’ only All-Star representative, Gray struggled with allowing home runs and walks, indicating potential underlying issues with his pitching mechanics. As a top prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gray was a key piece in the trade for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in 2021, but has yet to fully reach his potential in the major leagues.
The prevalence of major arm injuries among pitchers in MLB has continued to rise this season. Gerrit Cole, Spencer Strider, Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito, and Eury Perez are just a few of the prominent players who have suffered these injuries. The ongoing challenges faced by pitchers have raised concerns about the factors contributing to this epidemic. Some players have pointed to players throwing harder and gripping the ball tighter as possible causes of these injuries.
The MLB Players Association has suggested that the pitch clock could be a contributing factor to these injuries. However, some players remain uncertain about its true effectiveness as a solution.
The need for further research and intervention is clear as it is crucial to protect the health and longevity of pitchers in Major League Baseball.
In summary: Major League Baseball continues to struggle with high numbers of major arm injuries among its pitchers including Josiah Gray who recently joined this growing list of prominent pitchers suffering from such injuries this season like Gerrit Cole and others. These injuries raise concerns about factors contributing to this epidemic such as players throwing harder or gripping the ball tighter which may increase spin rate. While there is ongoing debate over whether the pitch clock could be a solution or not it is clear that further research and intervention are needed for protecting pitchers’ health and longevity in Major League Baseball.
