Injury-plagued ex-Astros' first-round bust hits rock bottom with latest roster move

In one of the least shocking moves of the offseason for Houston Astros fans, former first round bust Forrest Whitley is officially out of Major League Baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays released Whitley to allow the former overly hyped prospect to pursue a playing career in Japan.

Houston traded Whitley to the Rays in exchange for cash in June, officially closing the chapter and their failed 2017 draft pick. Whitley's tale with the Astros was a story of injuries and wasted potential.

The drama started as early as 2018 when Whitley was suspended 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy, and suffered a pair of oblique injuries that derailed his first season of development. Whitley then dealt with shoulder fatigue in 2019, and after there was no minor league season in 2020, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021. He only appeared in 13 minor league games in 2022 and suffered a lat strain in 2023 that limited him to only 8 games.

Forrest Whitley's MLB career comes to a sudden halt after being released by the Rays

It was a long journey for Whitley, who finally made his Major League debut in 2024. It was a brief look, appearing only in three games, but they were scoreless outings. Given the number of injuries the Astros suffered to their pitching staff in 2025, it was no surprise that Whitley got another look, appearing in 5 games, but it was a disaster. Whitley was tagged for 10 runs on 9 hits and 6 walks in a tick over 7 innings pitched.

Given the Rays' history of turning reclamation projects into success stories, there was a fear that Whitley's potential would be unlocked with the move to Tampa Bay. Instead, it was the same story for Whitley, who had an inflated ERA of 15.43 in 5 appearances out of the Rays' bullpen. The Rays did add Whitley back to their 40-man roster at the start of the offseason, suggesting they weren't ready to give up on their latest project.

Nonetheless, Whitley will now try to correct his issues in Japan, and Astros fans can pretend that he never existed in the first place.