Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley was advised to undergo a Tommy John operation, according to Mark Berman of KRIV Fox 26 (Twitter link). Whitley has struggled with armaches that have now been diagnosed as a real UCL sprain, the team told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) and other reporters. No decision has yet been made on Whitley’s next move, as the right-hand man seeks a second opinion.
A 14-15 month dismissal for TJ rehabilitation would be the biggest setback in a career hampered by injuries. Whitley also had an forearm problem last season that led to an early shutdown at the Astros’ alternate training ground, and he has been sidelined with shoulder and oblique injuries in recent years. In addition to just health accidents, Whitley also issued a drug suspension for 50 games in 2018.
Despite all these issues, Whitley’s potential is still considered so high that he has been on the top 100 prospect lists for the past four years. Whitley was selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2016 draft, and is still only 23 years old because the Astros took the San Antonio native as high school. Between the injuries and the suspension, however, from 2016-1919 Whitley threw in only 197 overs as a professional, and only 24 1/3 frames at the Triple-A level. The short stint at Triple-Round Rock did not penetrate as Whitley was incited for a 12.21 era, with nine home runs allowed.
In the short term, the Astros hoped Whitley would bounce back from his lost season and look good enough to be considered for an MLB promotion at some point in 2021. In the long run, Whitley was seen as a bridge to the next generation of the Houston rotation, as Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, en Lance McCullers Jr. can all be free agents after the season (and Verlander will miss the whole of 2021 due to his own Tommy John procedure). Framber Valdez‘s season could also be in question thanks to a broken finger, which is why the Astros added a bit of veteran stability by signing at least the 2022 campaign by Jake Odorizzi yesterday.