After years of waiting, Astros finally promote former top pitching prospect

Back in 2016, the Houston Astros drafted right-hander Forrest Whitley. He appeared to be on the road to becoming a superstar.

However, injuries began to take their toll. He underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2021 and was even forced to serve a 50-game suspension after violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. As a result, Whitley's debut was long delayed. But he's finally getting the opportunity to prove himself.

According to Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart, the Astros are promoting Whitley to the majors for his debut. McTaggart notes that for now, the Astros are going to use the young right-hander in the bullpen.

Astros finally call up former No. 1 prospect Forrest Whitley, but not as a starter

It's been a long road for Whitley. The right-hander has obviously dealt with multiple bumps in the road, including various injuries and his suspension. But the wait is finally over for the right-hander, who is going to get his chance to shine at the big-league level for the very first time.

Whitley appeared in only eight games in the minor leagues last season. In three appearances this year, he owns a 12.00 ERA.

Houston's pitching has been a nightmare to start the season. They already have several arms down such as Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, Kendall Graveman, and Lance McCullers Jr. They have also struggled to the tune of a 5.35 ERA, which is the worst in the American League and second worst in all of baseball behind the Colorado Rockies. This has contributed heavily to their disastrous 6-12 start, which has them near the bottom of the American League.

Whitley will bring a fresh arm to the team's bullpen in the midst of their dreadful start. The Astros will hope that he can stabilize their pitching and help them turn things around.

The Astros reached the ALCS last year and fell short against the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in seven games. They trail their AL West rivals by a mere 3.5 games despite their early season struggles.

We'll see if the addition of Whitley can help provide some stability for the Astros as they try to battle their way out of last place in the AL West.