Former Astros top pitching prospect dealt another career blow after immediate DFA

Coming off a disastrous 6-0 blown lead on Friday night in Baltimore, the Tampa Bay Rays decided on an emergency pitching roster shuffle. That kind of thing tends to happen when you're forced to rely on a position player on the mound (who just so happened to allow Orioles rookie Coby Mayo's first career home run). Unfortunately, an ex-Astros top prospect looking for a second chance (well, maybe fifth or sixth) bore the brunt of the move.

When Forrest Whitley was claimed by the Rays and their pitching factory, it seemed likely they'd be able to squeeze some degree of stardom juice out of his once-prosperous right arm. At least, if they weren't able to, he'd have learned a harsh lesson from the game's most elite pitching gurus.

Five outings in, it became abundantly clear Whitley wouldn't be a quick fix, if he was able to be fixed at all. Those five appearances accounted for 4 2/3 innings pitched, 10 hits, 10 earned runs, and a 15.43 ERA.

The coup de grace was Friday night when he allowed four runs (two earned) in a single innings, unable to stop the bleeding. The Rays needed to replace someone on the roster to survive the rest of the weekend, and this was an easy call; in Whitley's place, they'll try Joe Rock, a 24-year-old funky lefty with middling numbers at Triple-A Durham.

Houston Astros former top prospect Forrest Whitley DFA'd by Tampa Bay Rays

When Whitley was first let loose, we theorized that ex-Astros exec Mike Elias would be tempted to get his hands on his former prize pupil in Baltimore, especially given how much pitching regression the Orioles have endured. After watching him up close and personal - and being the reason for his demise on Friday - we're not so sure Elias will be quick to pull off the thievery.

All told, Whitley's big-league career with the Astros consisted of eight games split between the most recent two seasons. He ranked in Baseball America's Top 100 prospects prior to the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 campaigns, cracking the top 10 in '18 and '19.