Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on Aug. 24, 2024, in Minneapolis.

 Getty Images, David Berding

When he struggled through spring training this season, concerns started to be raised about Sonny Gray, the former Vanderbilt star and longtime Major League Baseball pitcher.

Was the 35-year-old Gray, a Smyrna native, starting to show the wear and tear of a 13-year career in the majors, one that has featured over 1,700 innings pitched?