Astros prospect Forrest Whitley ending 'season reset'

Forrest Whitley, the Astros' first-round pick in 2016, had a 12.21 ERA in eight outings for Class AAA Round Rock before being sent back to the Astros' spring-training compound for a "season reset." Forrest Whitley, the Astros' first-round pick in 2016, had a 12.21 ERA in eight outings for Class AAA Round Rock before being sent back to the Astros' spring-training compound for a "season reset." Photo: Ronald Cortes/Contributor Photo: Ronald Cortes/Contributor Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Astros prospect Forrest Whitley ending 'season reset' 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

Forrest Whitley's time in West Palm Beach is nearing an end.

The former first-round pick will make a start for Class A Advanced Fayetteville later this month, general manager Jeff Luhnow said Monday, finishing nearly a two-month "season reset" in Florida for one of baseball's best pitching prospects.

On May 29, after throwing to a 12.21 ERA in eight Triple-A games, Whitley 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-year-old righthander once heralded as 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."

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Whitley appeared in two Gulf Coast League games earlier this month. Boxscores on the league's official website say he struck out 10 and walked nine across 4⅓ innings, but those statistics are normally unreliable.

Luhnow corrected Whitley's latest line from a July 19 game. Online boxscores say he walked six men in 2⅔ 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."