Forrest Whitley Fantasy Stats

The Tampa Bay Rays announced that they have designated right-hander Forrest Whitley for assignment and recalled lefty Joe Rock from Triple-A Durham. This is the second DFA of the year for Whitley, formerly a standout prospect with the Houston Astros. After almost nine years in their organization, the Astros jettisoned Whitley from their 40-man roster three weeks ago and then traded him to the Rays for cash considerations on June 13. Whitley logged three straight scoreless appearances to begin his Rays tenure, but the wheels came off in his two most recent outings. He combined to allow a whopping eight earned runs on nine hits and two walks over just one frame in those appearances. Another team could take a chance on Whitley via waivers or a trade in the coming days, but it doesn't help that the unproven 27-year-old is out of minor league options.

The Tampa Bay Rays acquire right-hander Forrest Whitley from the Houston Astros on Friday, a source tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The move comes after the Astros designated Whitley, the 17th overall pick in 2016, for assignment last week. Once a top prospect in Houston's system, the 27-year-old has never been able to live up to his potential due to injury setback after injury setback. He missed the first two months this year with two different knee injuries and then allowed 10 earned runs with six walks and eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 relief innings upon his return to the big-league level after debuting in 2024. The Rays have a history of getting something out of lost causes like Whitley, but it remains to be see if he'll be able to turn his career around in Tampa. In six relief outings at Triple-A Sugar Land this year, Whitley had a 4.76 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 5 2/3 innings.

The Houston Astros have designated right-handed pitcher Forrest Whitley for assignment. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for left-handed pitcher Brandon Walker, who is slated to start Sunday's contest against the Cleveland Guardians. Whitley has dealt with injuries this season and has only logged 7 1/3 innings of work. During this brief stint, Whitley has allowed nine hits and 10 earned runs. He has struck out just eight batters and allowed six free passes. Last season, Whitley made his MLB debut and logged 3 1/3 innings of work and did not allow a run. Through 126 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, the 27-year-old has held a 6.27 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. Given his lack of success in the minor and major leagues, Whitley may not draw much interest on waivers.

The Athletic's Matt Kawahara reports that Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown does not think pitchers Forrest Whitley (knee) and Kaleb Ort (oblique) will be ready to go for the start of the season. However, Brown did note that both relievers could return "inside the month of April." The oft-injured Whitley sustained a bruised knee during his last spring training appearance, and although it appears minor, he's still working through it. While his major-league experience is capped at three innings, the 27-year-old was excellent to close out the 2024 season for Triple-A Sugar Land. On the other hand, Ort picked up an oblique injury early in camp and is behind in his build-up. The 33-year-old was superb for the Stros a season ago with a 2.55 ERA in 24.2 innings, though he compiled a 6.26 ERA or higher over the prior two seasons. They'll boost Houston's bullpen when both are healthy, and it appears their stays on the IL won't be for long.

Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle reports that Houston Astros pitcher Forrest Whitley (knee) was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his knee. Per manager Joe Espada, Whitley "felt something" in his knee on a pitch during his most recent Grapefruit League outing on Mar. 8, and an MRI later revealed the bruise. Espada notes that it's "too soon to tell" if the ailment will jeopardize his Opening Day status. The former top pitching prospect was building up to be a multi-inning reliever for the squad, but his off-season ramp-up will be put on hold for now. The 27-year-old has dealt with injuries before, including missing two months last season with elbow discomfort. However, upon his return, he compiled a 0.95 ERA in 28.1 innings at Triple-A Sugar Land.

The long-awaited arrival of Houston Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley was short-lived. Houston's 2016 first-round draft pick and former top pitching prospect has battled injuries over the years but finally got the call, only to face five batters in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Braves before being sent back down to Triple-A Sugar Land. The righty allowed a double, a walk, and hit a batter, but was able to record two outs in the inning. Even when healthy, Whitley hasn't been very effective, so we'll see where he goes from here. He's still just 26 years old, so perhaps a change of scenery would serve him well. For fantasy, however, he remains irrelevant.

The Houston Astros are calling up former top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley from the minors on Tuesday, according to a source. After a myriad of injuries, Whitley will be getting his first big-league call-up and will work as a reliever for a bullpen that needs a fresh arm. Whitley is on the 40-man roster, and the team's many other optionable relievers at Triple-A Sugar Land haven't been down long enough to be recalled without putting someone on the injured list. The 26-year-old got a late start at Sugar Land this year due to a finger injury and has allowed four runs while walking two and striking out four in three appearances on the farm before getting the call to Houston. Whitley's prospect status has faded and he should be ignored for now in fantasy, as he could be sent back to Sugar Land before long.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Forrest Whitley (finger) experienced middle finger soreness while warming up for a live bullpen session on Saturday, manager Joe Espada told members of the media, including The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Whitley ultimately skipped his bullpen session and is set to undergo additional evaluation with team doctors. Injuries have put a damper on the young career of Whitley, who was once regarded as a top prospect after being selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He posted a solid 9.60 K/9 and 46.8 GB% rate at Triple-A last year but also struggled at times, surrendering 5.10 BB/9 and 1.80 HR/9. Formerly a starter, Whitley is now trying to break camp as a reliever. This latest injury concern adds another obstacle in his long path to the majors.

Houston Astros right-hander Forrest Whitley (lat) is healthy and has been throwing this offseason, and general manager Dana Brown said that Whitley will report to spring training as a reliever. Brown also said the team will get a fourth option year on the former top prospect. A right lat sprain limited the oft-injured 26-year-old hurler to just eight appearances (six starts) for Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023. He went 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 17 walks and 32 strikeouts in 30 innings before being shut down for good in May. Injuries and control problems have kept Whitley from making his major-league debut to this point, and now it appears the Astros are pulling the plug on him as a starter in order to try and keep him healthy. There's no guarantee he'll be on Houston's Opening Day roster.

Houston Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley (shoulder) left Thursday night's game at Triple-A Sugar Land after feeling some discomfort in his right shoulder. Whitley's velocity was normal (93-96 mph), and he was removed from the contest as a precaution and is currently being evaluated. Given all of the 25-year-old's issues with shoulder injuries in the past, it makes sense for the Astros to be extra cautious. Whitley, the team's No. 19 prospect per MLB Pipeline, ended last year with a shoulder issue and has already missed a couple weeks in 2023 with the same injury, so this isn't good news at all. Once one of Houston's top pitching prospect, Whitley is trending in the wrong direction because of arm injuries, and he currently has a 5.70 ERA with 32 K's and 17 walks in 30 innings for Sugar Land.