The 28-year-old last pitched Sept. 1 before going on the injured list with what was described as inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Gray finished the season 2-4 with a 6.69 ERA. He threw 39 innings with 22 strikeouts and 11 walks.

“Jon was bummed for sure,” Rockies manager Bud Black said Wednesday before a game against Oakland. “Jon wanted to be a contributor. Jon’s a competitor. … Jon was ready to help us down the stretch. It just didn’t happen physically.”

When Gray was first injured, there was optimism he could return. But he experienced lingering discomfort in side sessions. Black said that after consulting with the training staff and Gray, they reached the decision it was best to shut him down.

“I’m going from my conversations with Jon, whether to push through this or not, and it made sense not to,” Black said.

A first-round pick by Colorado in 2013, Gray has a 45-37 career mark with a 4.59 ERA. His 692 career strikeouts are fifth-most in team history.

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