Astros: 1 biggest disappointment of spring training so far

Unfortunately for the Houston Astros, there were high hopes for top prospect Forrest Whitley this year but he’s all set to undergo Tommy John Surgery. 

For Houston Astros fans, they were all set to see what starting hurler Forrest Whitley would be able to do this campaign. He entered spring training with some high expectations, as everyone figured the youngster would be on his way to having a head-turning season. Instead, it’s over before it has begun.

That’s because the stud righty will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery and won’t be able to take the bump until next season. It’s simply brutal news for the club and not what anyone wanted to see during spring training.

Forrest Whitley’s injury is no question the biggest disappointment of spring training for Houston

You’ve got to feel for the 23-year-old hurler. It really felt like 2021 would be his opportunity to showcase his fantastic stuff and help the Astros not only go on a deep postseason run, but potentially compete for another World Series title.

Instead, he’s going under the knife and has left quite the void in the Houston rotation. To make matters worse, Framber Valdez is also injured with a fractured finger in his pitching hand, and the expectation is that he’ll also be lost for the season.

With these two injuries, Houston is left scrambling leading up to the campaign to add another arm. With that said, there are plenty of free-agent options available, including veteran Cole Hamels.

Regardless of how things play out for Houston this season, the Astros supporters will be left wondering what could have been for Whitley this spring and summer. Unfortunately, he now has a long road to recovery to get himself back fully healthy and on the bump.