Astros prospect Forrest Whitley suspended 50 games for violation of MiLB drug program

Astros right-handed pitcher Forrest Whitley, the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has been suspended 50 games without pay for violating the minor-league drug program.

The office of the commissioner announced the suspension Wednesday.

Whitley was the Astros' first-round pick in 2016 and is coming off of a year in which he struck out 143 batters in 92 1/3 innings across three levels. He finished the year with Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and struck out 11 batters in six innings while allowing no runs in his debut against the Tulsa Drillers.

Aside Shohei Ohtani, he is the No. 1 right-handed pitching prospect in baseball.

The 20-year-old was not invited to spring training by the Astros, but he was expected to see time with the team in games and possibly even earn a late-season call up. 

Whitley is the third Astros' prospect, along with Dean Deetz and Jonathan Singleton, to be suspended for violations of the minor-league drug prevention program this offseason. Including David Paulino, he is the fourth prospect to be suspended in the last year.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read Again Brow http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/mlb-astros-prospect-forrest-whitley-suspended-50-games-violation-drug-program/lcl5cj7168lt10njsz9350wbu

Bagikan Berita Ini