Top Houston Astros Prospect Receives Long Awaited Debut

The Houston Astros are set to call up a pitcher they selected in the first round of the MLB Draft eight years ago to fill out their bullpen.

Mar 11, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Forrest Whitley (60) / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

A long-time Houston Astros prospect is finally set for his Major League call-up.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Forrest Whitley, who was selected by the Astros in the first round eight years ago, will be called up as they prepare to continue their series with the Atlanta Braves.

Whitley is expected to give the Astros a fresh arm in the bullpen, where the Astros have been overtaxed for more than a week.

Whitley is a Texas native who played his high school baseball at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas, before the Astros made him their first-round pick in 2016.

But his entire career has been about progress and pain.

Whitley quickly reached Triple-A in 2018 and looked poised for a call-up to the Majors. But the COVID shutdown of minor-league baseball stymied his progress and the Astros had to put him on their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft in 2020.

But, in spring training in 2021, he blew out his right elbow and missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery.

He returned in June of 2022, when he pitched in the Florida Complex League on a rehab assignment. That was his first professional appearance since September of 2019.

Last year Whitley pitched for Triple-A Sugar Land and went 1-2 in eight appearances with a 5.70 ERA. He posted a solid strikeout rate, fanning 32 batters in 30 innings. But he missed the back half of the season with a lat strain.

The Astros were able to keep Whitley for 2024 through a fourth option year that typically isn’t awarded.

Whitley had a minor setback during spring training with a sore middle finger but has made three appearances in relief at Sugar Land. He is 1-0 in three innings, having given up four hits, four earned runs and three home runs. He has struck out four and walked two.