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Astros Rumors

AL West Notes: Trout, Wesneski, Kirby, Gilbert

By Nick Deeds | May 10, 2025 at 10:58pm CDT

When Angels superstar Mike Trout first went on the injured list just over a week ago due to a bone bruise in his left knee, Trout expressed optimism that he would be able to return after a minimum stay. He’s eligible to be activated on Sunday, but that ultimately will not come to pass. Trout told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) that while he’s resumed swinging a bat with no issues, he has yet to begin running.

The good news is, that could change fairly soon. Trout indicated that he’ll be traveling with the Angels to San Diego for their upcoming series against the Padres this week, and there’s “a good chance” that he’ll start running on that road trip. Trout added that the pain he was feeling in his knee that led to the IL stint has now dissipated, and the veteran is encouraged enough by the progress that a return in the somewhat near future seems to be on the table, though an exact timeline won’t be able to be established until Trout resumes running.

Obviously, the face of the Angels franchise returning to the field will be a key factor in whatever hopes the club may have of clawing its way back into the AL playoff picture. A strong start to the 2025 campaign for the Halos has largely been snuffed out at this point, as they own a lackluster 15-22 record and are currently sitting in fifth place in the AL West. Even side from the odds of playoff baseball in Anaheim, however, Trout’s return to action would be reason for celebration for fans all around the game. A slam-dunk Hall of Famer who was on track to become one of the greatest players in history just a few years ago, Trout has appeared in just 295 games since the start of the 2021 season and will be looking to have his first mostly-healthy campaign since 2022 once he returns from the injured list.

More from around the AL West…

  • Astros right-hander Hayden Wesneski went on the injured list yesterday due to discomfort in his right elbow. It’s an ominous diagnosis that resulted in the righty being sent for imaging, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) this afternoon that while Wesneski’s MRI showed inflammation in his elbow, the club felt that they “couldn’t get a good read of what’s going on.” Espada added that the club’s plan is now to give Wesneski a few more days of rest in hopes that the inflammation will calm down before trying to reassess the situation and decide on next steps. It’s an update that offers little clarity on Wesneski’s path forward, much less a timetable for his return. The right-hander pitched to middling results in six starts for Houston this year after being acquired from the Cubs as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, with a 4.50 ERA in 32 innings of work.
  • The Mariners are without co-aces George Kirby and Logan Gilbert at the moment. Kirby has yet to pitch this year after beginning the season on the shelf due to shoulder inflammation, while tightness in Gilbert’s forearm shut him down near the end of last month. Seattle GM Justin Hollander told reporters (including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) yesterday that Kirby would make one more rehab start after today’s outing with Triple-A Tacoma. That would put him in line to be activated at some point during the club’s upcoming road trip, perhaps either against the White Sox or the Astros. Gilbert, meanwhile, is further from a return given that he’s still just playing catch. Hollander did suggest, however, that the righty could resume throwing off the mound in the coming days. Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans are filling in for Kirby and Gilbert in the club’s rotation in the meantime.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Notes Seattle Mariners George Kirby Hayden Wesneski Logan Gilbert Mike Trout

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Astros Place Hayden Wesneski On Injured List Due To Elbow Discomfort

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2025 at 3:16pm CDT

The Astros announced Friday that right-hander Hayden Wesneski is being placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his right elbow. Right-hander Logan VanWey will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Wesneski’s spot on the roster. An exact diagnosis or expected timetable for Wesneski’s return has not been provided. His IL placement is retroactive to May 7.

It’s ominous any time a pitcher hits the injured list due to a nebulous designation such as “elbow discomfort.” Teams will typically provide further details — specific symptoms, diagnoses, timetables, etc. — not long after making announcements such as this one. The Astros are notoriously tight-lipped with any and all medical updates, however, so time will tell when they opt to divulge more information.

Regardless, the loss of Wesneski stings. One of three players acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Kyle Tucker, he opened the season in Houston’s rotation and has played a key role. His most recent start (four runs in four innings) bumped his ERA up to 4.50, but Wesneski had been sitting at a solid 3.86 mark prior. His most recent appearance was the first time in 2025 that he worked fewer than five innings and the first time he yielded more than three runs in a start.

Houston only just welcomed Lance McCullers Jr. back from an injury absence of more than two years. He joined Wesneski, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco in manager Joe Espada’s rotation, bumping rookie Ryan Gusto a long relief role. With Wesneski down for at least two weeks, it seems likely that Gusto will step back into the starting five, although Houston has righty AJ Blubaugh and lefty Colton Gordon both on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A.

Whoever steps into the rotation vacancy could be looking at an abbreviated stint on the starting staff. Certainly, the ’Stros will hope for a swift return for Wesneski. But even if he requires an absence of some note, other reinforcements could be on the way. Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been out since April 7 with a fractured thumb, but the Astros’ original hope was that he’d be able to return in about six weeks. That timetable might be hard to meet if he’s yet to resume throwing, but there’s yet to be any indication that he’s facing a substantially longer absence than originally hoped. Prospect Miguel Ullola has been dominant in his two most recent Triple-A appearances, tossing 10 scoreless innings and allowing only two hits and three walks while punching out 15. Looking further down the road, the club hopes to have righty Cristian Javier back later in the summer after he underwent Tommy John surgery last June.

Generally speaking, the Astros are reasonably well equipped to handle one loss of note in the rotation. A second injury, particularly one to Brown or Valdez, would prove a far greater test to the organization’s depth.

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Houston Astros Hayden Wesneski Logan VanWey

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The Astros’ Second Ace

By Anthony Franco | May 7, 2025 at 11:58pm CDT

The last time that Hunter Brown was tagged on MLBTR's pages was almost one year ago. Brown had just thrown a five-inning relief appearance after Cristian Javier failed to advance past the second inning. Houston had been running a six-man rotation and was potentially considering dropping Brown to the bullpen or to Triple-A, as he'd allowed 26 runs over 23 innings through the end of April.

A lot can change in a year.

Brown struck out seven while allowing just one run in that May 11 relief outing. His return to the rotation six days later didn't go well, as he gave up four runs in five innings against Milwaukee. After that, Brown reeled off eight consecutive quality starts. He allowed more than three runs in just three of his final 22 appearances. He'd made it through six innings in just one of his first eight starts. He failed to complete six innings only three times from the middle of May onwards.

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Front Office Originals Houston Astros Hunter Brown

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Astros Place Yordan Alvarez On Injured List

By Darragh McDonald | May 5, 2025 at 3:40pm CDT

The Astros have placed outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with right hand inflammation, retroactive to May 3. Catcher César Salazar has been recalled to take his spot on the active roster. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com was among those to relay the news.

The hand issue doesn’t come out of nowhere, as Alvarez missed the club’s last two games due to that inflammation. It’s unclear how much time the Astros expect him to miss but he wasn’t immediately placed on the IL, so perhaps they just want to give him a bit of a rest. By backdating the transaction, he can be back in just over a week.

Hand inflammation has been an issue for him in the past. He dealt with soreness in both hands in 2022 and he did once go on the IL that year, though it was around the All-Star break, so he only missed a few games. Hand soreness also hampered him a bit in Spring Training 2023.

He still put up massive numbers in those seasons but 2025 has been a struggle. It’s unclear if he’s been battling the hand problems all year but he has a .210/.306/.340 line and 79 wRC+ through 121 plate appearances. That’s partly due to a .222 batting average on balls in play but his hard hit rate and barrel rate are also down compared to previous seasons. He carried a .298/.390/.583 career batting line and 166 wRC+ into the season, so this year’s production has been a massive drop-off.

The Astros will surely be hoping to get him back to that previous kind of offense after this IL stint. The one silver lining of not having Alvarez around is that it opens the designated hitter spot for other uses. The recall of Salazar gives the club three catchers and perhaps suggests that they will use the DH spot to get their backstops more plate appearances.

Victor Caratini has been drawing walks at a 12% clip this year, leading to a .233/.340/.372 line and 112 wRC+. Yainer Diaz doesn’t have a good line for the entire year, hitting .221/.250/.365 thus far for a 73 wRC+, but that’s mostly due to a horrendous start. He had a dismal .061/.139/.061 line through April 8th but has hit .296/.306/.507 for a 130 wRC+ since then.

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images

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Houston Astros Cesar Salazar Yordan Alvarez

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Astros To Activate Lance McCullers Jr. This Weekend

By Steve Adams | April 30, 2025 at 12:01pm CDT

The Astros are planning to reinstate right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. from the injured list this weekend, the team announced to reporters Wednesday (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). He’ll take the ball Sunday to start against the White Sox.

Sunday will mark McCullers’ first appearance on a major league mound since the 2022 postseason. Even in 2022, McCullers was limited to 47 2/3 regular-season innings because of a forearm injury. He made his 2022 debut in August, pitched down the stretch and added another 15 postseason innings. His forearm again flared up in spring training 2023, and McCullers eventually underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm and to remove bone spurs from his elbow.

That procedure ended McCullers’ 2023 season before it began, but the general expectation was that he’d return at some point in 2024. That never came to pass. McCullers worked through a throwing program last summer but never made it to the mound for a rehab start. The Astros revealed in August that McCullers was being shut back down due to persisting pain in his surgically repaired right arm. His absence extended into the 2025 season, but after making four rehab starts — including nine straight scoreless Triple-A frames — McCullers is now set to finally return to the majors.

“It’s a day I’ve been waiting for a long time,” McCullers replied when asked what Sunday’s return means to him (video link via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “I almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects. It’s been a really long road for me. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff, the Astros organization for standing by me and supporting me.”

Injuries have been a persistent theme throughout the now-31-year-old McCullers’ career, but there’s never been any doubt of his abilities when he’s been healthy enough to pitch. The former No. 41 overall draft pick was a top prospect before making his debut in 2015 and has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in six of his seven major league seasons. Overall, McCullers touts a career 3.48 earned run average, 26.5% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate in 718 2/3 regular season frames. His work in 72 2/3 postseason innings is nearly identical: 3.47 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate.

It’s impossible to know what to expect from McCullers on the heels of such a lengthy absence. If he can recapture even 80% of his prior form, he’d be a boon to an Astros staff that has five other rotation options on the injured list (Luis Garcia, J.P. France, Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, Shawn Dubin). Hunter Brown has been one of MLB’s best pitchers this year, and fellow starters Framber Valdez and Hayden Wesneski have pitched well. Ryan Gusto has impressed in a small sample of 19 innings since being thrust into the rotation following Arighetti’s injury. Last year’s rotation savior, Ronel Blanco, has stumbled out of the gate with a 5.08 ERA.

On the whole, Astros starters rank seven in the majors with a 3.50 earned run average, but Blanco has struggled and the depth beyond the current quintet is a bit suspect. A healthy McCullers would be a pivotal development.

Houston signed McCullers to a five-year, $85MM extension back in March 2021 — a rare (but hardly unheard of) extension for a Boras Corporation client on the cusp of free agency. He was excellent in ’21, but those previously mentioned 63 innings (regular season and postseason combined) in 2022 are the only innings he’s pitched throughout the duration of that extension. He’s being paid $17MM this year and next in the final two seasons of that contract.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Lance McCullers Jr.

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Astros Select AJ Blubaugh

By Anthony Franco | April 30, 2025 at 10:08am CDT

April 30: The Astros have made Blubaugh’s promotion official. His contract has been selected to the 40-man roster, which is now at capacity. Righty Bryan Abreu has been placed on the paternity list to clear a spot on the active roster.

April 29: The Astros are tabbing AJ Blubaugh to start tomorrow against the Tigers, the team announced to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). The righty will go opposite another rookie, Jackson Jobe, in his major league debut. Houston already has an opening on the 40-man roster; they’ll only need to make an active roster move involving a pitcher.

Blubaugh, 24, is one of the top pitching prospects in a Houston system that is light on arms. A seventh-round pick from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 2022 draft, he has turned in a 4.02 ERA over 268 1/3 minor league innings. Drafted as a reliever, Blubaugh began a rotation move in 2023. He worked as a full-time starter a year ago, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 28 appearances between the top two minor league levels. Blubaugh recorded a solid 24.5% strikeout percentage against a 9.4% walk rate.

The 6’2″ righty pitched in the Futures Game a season ago. He ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Houston system at both Baseball America and The Athletic (via Keith Law) over the offseason. He’s generally viewed as a likely back-end starter who has decent command of a fringe-average pitch mix. Blubaugh’s fastball velocity has ticked up early this year. He’s averaging 93.8 MPH on the pitch after sitting at 92.5 during his Triple-A work last season. He’s mixing five pitches (four-seam, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup) with regularity.

Blubaugh has found early success in a tough pitching environment in the Pacific Coast League. He carries a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings spanning five appearances. He has punched out 30% of opponents while walking batters at an elevated 10.8% rate. Blubaugh joins Colton Gordon as rotation depth options who occupy a 40-man roster spot.

It’s unclear if his first appearance will simply be a spot start. Hayden Wesneski would have been lined up on Wednesday. Manager Joe Espada said on Tuesday afternoon that the righty’s start would be skipped after he was pitching with diminished velocity during his start last Friday (link via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). Espada downplayed the notion that Wesneski was injured, though it’s worth nothing the Astros provide less in the way of health specifics than any other team. In any case, Blubaugh will get the ball at least once in his initial call to the big leagues.

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Houston Astros Transactions A.J. Blubaugh Hayden Wesneski

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Astros Activate Kaleb Ort, Place Forrest Whitley On 15-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | April 27, 2025 at 7:10pm CDT

The Astros activated right-hander Kaleb Ort from the 15-day injured list today, and placed righty Forrest Whitley on the 15-day IL (retroactive to April 24) in the corresponding move.  Ort didn’t see any action in today’s 7-3 win over the Royals, so the reliever is still waiting to make his season debut after beginning the year on the IL due to an oblique strain.

Whitley also began the season on the IL due to a bone bruise on his left knee, but after making just one appearance, Whitley now finds himself back on the shelf with a left knee sprain.  Manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that Whitley’s two injuries are likely linked, and the reliever will undergo more testing on Monday to determine the extent of the issue.  The decision was made to place Whitley on the IL when he reported more knee soreness after a game of catch on Saturday, Espada said.

It represents yet another setback for Whitley, as the former top prospect has dealt with multiple injuries and a 50-game PED suspension during his long minor league career.  Chosen 17th overall in the 2016 draft, Whitley finally made it to the Show last year, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless (despite five hits and three walks) innings over three appearances for the 2024 Astros.  His big league ERA has remained spotless through his fourth career game, as he tossed two more scoreless frames in mop-up duty during Houston’s 7-0 win over the Blue Jays on April 21.

Whitley’s multiple injuries have already altered his career path from starting to relief pitching, and he had very strong results working in a full-time bullpen role with Triple-A Round Rock in 2024.  There is still plenty of opportunity for the 27-year-old Whitley to carve out a niche for himself in the majors, if he can only stay healthy.

Speaking of late bloomers, Ort had a 6.27 ERA in 51 2/3 career MLB innings (all with the Red Sox) before he broke out with Houston last year in his age-32 season.  After being claimed off waivers from the Orioles last May, Ort posted a 2.55 ERA, 28% strikeout rate, and 4.3% walk rate across 24 2/3 innings out of the Astros’ pen.  While Ort benefited from some favorable batted-ball luck, his metrics were still intriguing enough to indicate that he can be a helpful bullpen piece for Espada’s team.

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Houston Astros Transactions Forrest Whitley Kaleb Ort

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Astros Considering Time In Center Field For Cam Smith

By Darragh McDonald | April 23, 2025 at 5:53pm CDT

The Astros are considering some time in center field for Cam Smith, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Rome points out that nothing is imminent and that the club isn’t planning on making Smith an everyday center fielder. It’s more about adding some extra versatility, giving the club the ability to perhaps put someone like Zach Dezenzo in right from time to time.

The club has already been aggressive with Smith. A third base prospect, the Astros moved him to right field during spring training since they have Isaac Paredes at the hot corner. Smith performed well enough to crack the Opening Day roster as the everyday right fielder, despite having almost no experience there. He was also just short on professional experience in general. He was only just drafted by the Cubs last summer before getting into 32 minor league games in the second half of 2024. Only five of those were at the Double-A level and none at Triple-A. He and Paredes both came to the Astros in the offseason trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs.

All things considered, Smith has taken well to all the aggression. He has a .226/.304/.403 line to start his big league career. His 29% strikeout rate is on the high side but he has three home runs, helping him to a 109 wRC+. It’s hard to read much into a small sample of glovework but both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average consider Smith to be above par in the field so far.

The Astros are clearly happy with the results and feel confident enough in his abilities that they are given him yet another test. Per Rome, they have started getting him some center field reps in pre-game workouts. “When you break down what makes a good center fielder, you’re going to see reactions, routes, speed and an arm. So far, he’s shown the ability to do all those things,” outfield coach Jason Bell tells Rome. “I know it’s early, but from the early signs, you can see the chance that he would have to do that if that was a possibility.”

Rome mentions that this could be a way to add some extra offense on occasion. Houston’s regular center fielder is Jake Meyers, who is a strong defender but has a career batting line of .230/.293/.368 in 1,250 plate appearances, which translates to an 87 wRC+.

Occasionally moving Smith over to center would allow the Astros to bench Meyers and get a different bat into the lineup. Rome mentions Dezenzo as one such possibility. He has mostly played first base in the big leagues but has also seen some brief time at second, third and in the outfield corners. His .238/.282/.363 batting line isn’t better than Meyers’ but he’s only received 85 big league plate appearances. Over 2023 and 2024, he stepped to the plate 636 times in the minors with a .303/.384/.517 line and 139 wRC+.

Getting Dezenzo into the outfield for Meyers could perhaps add a bit more offense but would be a notable gamble defensively. The club is using former second baseman Jose Altuve in left field, so an outfield alignment of Altuve/Smith/Dezenzo would effectively involve three converted infielders. Meyers, on the other hand, has tallied 22 Defensive Runs Saved and 38 Outs Above Average in his career. Having two of those infielders out there with an excellent defender like Meyers is already a bit of a gamble but this new consideration would be pushing that even farther.

It’s a plan that is all still experimental and Rome notes it’s entirely possible Smith never plays in center, but it’s notable that the club is tinkering as guys like Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz and Yordan Alvarez are all scuffling at the plate.

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Houston Astros Cam Smith Jake Meyers Zach Dezenzo

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Luis Arraez To Be Placed On Concussion IL

By Mark Polishuk | April 21, 2025 at 3:04pm CDT

April 21: Arraez is in concussion protocol and will go on the 7-day concussion IL, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Infielder Mason McCoy will be recalled as the corresponding move, per Acee.

April 20, 10:11PM: In what appears to be great news, Arraez returned to the Padres clubhouse postgame and was happily chatting with teammates, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.  Arraez will stay in Houston overnight for observation, but could rejoin the team in Detroit as early as tomorrow.

7:23PM: During an in-game interview with ESPN’s Buster Olney, Padres manager Mike Shildt said initial concerns were about Arraez’s neck and jaw.  For the latter, Shildt said Arraez “has a little bit of a cut on the jaw, [we’re] worried about the jaw, stability of that.”  (Hat tip to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome)

6:53PM: Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez suffered an apparent head or neck injury after a big collision with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon in tonight’s game.  Arraez was thrown out at first base while trying to bunt for a base hit, and ran headfirst into Dubon’s shoulder while the second baseman was covering the bag.  Arraez was down on the field and almost motionless for several minutes, and had to be carted off once his head and neck area was stabilized by a brace.  He was conscious, and gave a thumbs up while being removed from the field.

The Padres provided an update on their X account, saying that Arraez was “currently stable, conscious, responsive, and able to move his extremities.”  The infielder is receiving further examination and treatment at a Houston hospital.

We’ll undoubtedly get more updates over the course of the evening, but at the very least, it seems like Arraez is heading to the injured list (either the normal 10-day IL or the seven-day IL for concussion-related issues).  Given how scary the incident looked, one can only hope that Arraez avoided any kind of serious injury to his neck or head that would impact his day-to-day-life, to say nothing of his baseball career.

Arraez entered tonight’s action hitting a solid .287/.330/.425 over his first 95 plate appearances of the 2025 season, again acting as San Diego’s everyday first baseman.  The extreme contact hitter has been baseball’s toughest batter to strike out essentially since he made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2019, though Arraez’s contact rarely translates into any sort of power.  The old-school approach has undoubtedly been productive, as Arraez is the only player in the history of the sport to win three straight batting titles with three different teams — he won the AL batting crown with the Twins in 2022, with the Marlins in 2023, and then mostly with the Padres in 2024 after Miami dealt him to San Diego 33 games into last season.

This throwback nature has made Arraez a fan favorite, and his contributions both on the field and within the Padres’ clubhouse were viewed as a catalyst for San Diego’s success in 2024.  Since Arraez will surely have to miss some time in the wake of tonight’s collision, he’ll represent yet another key Padres player on the injured list.  The Friars are already trying to get by without Yu Darvish, Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, and others, yet San Diego still took a league-best 15-6 record into tonight’s game in Houston.

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Houston Astros San Diego Padres Luis Arraez Mason McCoy

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Astros Activate Forrest Whitley From Injured List

By Nick Deeds | April 19, 2025 at 6:59pm CDT

The Astros announced earlier today that they’ve activated right-hander Forrest Whitley from the injured list. Righty Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The move sets up what could be the first extended shot in the majors of Whitley’s career. Selected 17th overall by the Astros all the way back in 2016, Whitley was a consensus top-10 prospect in the entire sport in the late 2010s and considered by many to be the best up-and-coming young pitcher in the minor leagues. Unfortunately, things came off the rails somewhat for the righty from there. He was suspended for 50 games for violating MiLB’s drug policy prior to the 2018 season, and that suspension, shoulder issues, the canceled minor league season in 2020, and Tommy John surgery led to Whitley throwing just 66 innings in minor league games over a four-year period.

When he finally made his way back onto the mound in 2022, the results were not good. Whitley struggled to a 6.53 ERA in 40 innings spread across three levels of the minors, including a 7.09 ERA at Triple-A. He struggled again the following year with a 5.70 ERA in 30 innings before being sidelined by a lat strain but stuck around to make his big league debut last year. He threw just three innings in the majors last year but did not surrender a run and also posted an excellent 1.89 ERA with a 31.9% strikeout rate in 32 appearances at Triple-A last year after moving to the bullpen.

A bone bruise in Whitley’s left knee prevented him from making the Astros’ roster out of camp this year, but the issue didn’t keep him sidelined for long. Since Whitley is out of options, he had to either be designated for assignment or added to the Astros’ big league roster once he was ready to be activated from the injured list. Houston chose to bring him back up to the majors, and he’s now set to join a bullpen that has virtually no certainty outside of closer Josh Hader and top setup man Bryan Abreu. Bryan King has looked good as another potential high leverage arm from the left side to complement Hader, but there’s little in Whitley’s way to stop him from becoming the club’s second high leverage arm from the right side after this offseason’s Ryan Pressly trade vacated the role.

With that being said, the righty will need to show better control than he did during his latest stint at Triple-A. While Whitley struck out a solid 26.3% of his opponents during his latest rehab assignment, he walked an unplayable 21.1% of batters as well. Fortunately, that was across a sample of just four appearances. It’s not at all difficult to imagine a player with Whitley’s talent and prospect pedigree finally being able to put things together in the majors this year, particularly now that he’s moved to the bullpen full-time in a move that should help to minimize injury risk.

Making room for Whitley on the Astros’ active roster is the departure of Hernandez, who will head to Triple-A Sugar Land and wait for his next opportunity. Hernandez departs the roster without having made an appearance this year, though he has a 9.00 ERA in seven appearances with the Astros and Padres in his career since debuting with San Diego back in 2023. The 28-year-old’s career 3.34 ERA at Triple-A suggests there’s reason for optimism he could be effective in the majors if offered the opportunity, but he doesn’t appear ticketed for an extended look in the majors any time soon given the current construction of Houston’s bullpen.

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Houston Astros Transactions Forrest Whitley Nick Hernandez

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