On Monday, former Cincinnati Reds prospect Josiah Gray faced off against Major League hitters for the first time in almost two years. Gray, who's battling for a spot in the Washington Nationals Opening Day rotation, hadn't been on a big-league mound since April 4, 2024, and his first opponent in the batters' box was former AL MVP Jose Altuve.
Altuve recorded a single off Gray during the bottom of the first inning of Monday's exhibition game against the Houston Astros. But after that, he struck out perennial All-Star slugger Yordan Alvarez and induced an inning-ending double-play off the bat of Carlos Correa.