The Nationals got a string of encouraging injury updates on Thursday, with James Wood, DJ Herz, Josiah Gray and Connelly Early all moving forward in their respective recoveries.
For Wood, the signs are pointing toward a return before the season ends. The outfielder landed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 4 with a left oblique strain suffered against the Philadelphia Phillies, and that kind of injury usually doesn’t clear up quickly.
But Washington said Wood “progressed to playing catch at a distance of 90 feet” on Aug. 14.
The team also noted that he took swings “at 70% intensity” and hit off the tee.
That’s a meaningful step for a player the Nationals would love to get back in the lineup, especially as they try to close out the year on a strong note.
Herz delivered maybe the most eye-catching update of the bunch. The left-hander, who had Tommy John surgery early in the 2025 season and last appeared in an MLB game in 2024, threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts for Double-A Harrisburg in his latest rehab outing on Friday. It came on the heels of another sharp start, when he tossed a scoreless inning for Single-A Fredericksburg on Aug. 8, allowed two hits and struck out three.
Herz had been trending toward a July return before a flexor muscle strain shut down his first comeback attempt. If he can keep stacking healthy outings, the Nationals could still get him on the mound for meaningful innings before the season is over.
Gray also took a notable step. On Aug. 14, he threw live batting practice at the Nationals’ training complex, working two innings and 30 pitches. That puts him closer to a rehab assignment if the next part of his ramp-up goes smoothly.
Gray entered the year with a chance to be part of the picture, but a flexor strain diagnosed on March 23 and a move to the 60-day IL kept him from throwing a single inning this season. He hasn’t been expected to anchor the rotation, but Washington would still welcome him back as a long reliever or back-end starter, and it would be his first major league action since 2024, when he underwent elbow surgery.
The final update came on left-handed pitcher Connelly Early, who has resumed playing catch in his throwing progression. That’s a positive development after he was shut down on rehab because of forearm tightness.
There’s still concern about where this goes from here, including the possibility of Tommy John surgery at some point. But for now, the Nationals at least have a hopeful sign with Early as well.
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