Whitley to move on from Florida
‘Reset’ to end soon with Class A start on tap this month
HOUSTON — Forrest Whitley’s time in West Palm Beach, Fla., is nearing an end.
The former first-round pick will make a start for advanced Class A Fayetteville (N.C.) later this month, general manager Jeff Luhnow said Monday, finishing nearly a two-month “season reset” for Whitley.
On May 29, after throwing to a 12.21 ERA in eight Class AAA games, the Alamo Heights product was placed on the injured list with right shoulder fatigue and sent to the Astros’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach. Luhnow later termed the time a “season reset” for the lanky 21-yearold righthander once heralded as one of the sport’s best pitching prospects.
“All these guys when they’re struggling, it’s a combination of mental and physical,” Luhnow said. “It’s a tough game, and we’ve seen it before: (Being) a top prospect is tough physically and mentally. It’s a combination, but he’s got a good mindset and a good attitude. He certainly has the talent.”
Whitley appeared in two Gulf Coast League games this month. Box scores on the league’s official website say he struck out 10 and walked nine across 41⁄3 innings, but those statistics are normally unreliable.
Luhnow corrected Whitley’s latest line from a July 19 game. Online box scores say he walked six men in 22⁄3 innings. The general manager said Whitley walked only four.
Even if Whitley can find himself again with a full-season affiliate, time appears almost up for him to make a major league impact. Luhnow said Tuesday he hopes Whitley can “finish this year strong and put himself in a good position for next year.”