WASHINGTON -- Right-hander Josiah Gray will undergo season-ending elbow surgery to address a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on Wednesday.

Following a visit with Dr. Keith Meister during the All-Star break, Gray will have the procedure performed by the orthopedic surgeon in Arlington. The extent of the injury will be determined then.

“If the ligament is not as damaged as the MRI imaging shows, we can hold out hope for the internal brace procedure,” Gray, 26, said on Friday. “If the ligament is damaged, we can obviously opt for Tommy John. Obviously, the hybrid’s in place, which is merging of the two as well. So truly, it’s just a wait and see.”

Gray, named the Nationals' 2024 Opening Day starter in his fourth season, was placed on the injured list on April 9 (retroactive to April 6) because of a right elbow/forearm flexor strain. He made five rehab starts, progressing to Triple-A, but he was shut down after allowing seven runs in three innings with Rochester on June 30.

“That was probably the toughest thing for me to kind of wrap my head around, because I felt like I was oh so close to getting back here in this clubhouse and contributing to wins,” Gray said. “... You can kind of like taste it. But unfortunately, there were other plans behind the scenes, and unfortunately, I hit the hardest setback of all.”

To prepare for the process, Gray has reached out to teammates including Cade Cavalli, Jake Irvin and Tanner Rainey, who have undergone Tommy John. Gray also spoke with pitching strategist Sean Doolittle, who opted for the internal brace procedure in July 2022.

Gray hopes to return to the team following the surgery to stay involved with the club as a key member of its young, developing future.

“For me, being around the game, being around this team, I want to be connected to these guys,” Gray said. “Obviously, I can’t go out there and suit up and get strikeouts, but I’ll hopefully be an encourager as much as possible. I’m just grateful for that and grateful to be here.”