Whitley fanned seven hitters and allowed two hits and one walk across four scoreless frames for Double-A Corpus Christi on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The Astros' top prospect has yet to allow a run while striking out 18 through 12 innings since reporting to the Texas League affiliate earlier this month after completing a 50-game suspension. Whitley's pedigree and stellar age-to-level production suggests he might already be a capable big-league starter, but the Astros' considerable rotation depth makes it most likely that he debuts with the big club out of the bullpen at some point in the second half. The delayed start to Whitley's season could actually enhance his opportunity to make an impact for the Astros, as his limited workload to date shouldn't subject him to the stricter innings caps 20-year-old pitchers would normally face down the stretch.

Whitley hurled four scoreless innings Friday, allowing just one hit without a walk and striking out five for Double-A Corpus Christi.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley made his season debut after serving a 50-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. The 6-foot-7 right-hander, the organization's top prospect, obviously missed some development time, which will delay his estimated arrival in Houston.

Whitley is listed as Double-A Corpus Christi's probable starter for Friday's game against Double-A Frisco.

EDGE Analysis

He served his 50-game suspension and took an extra week to get ready after missing a short amount of time with a minor lat injury, but he's apparently ready to make his 2018 debut. Whitley is the best pitching prospect in baseball, so this start comes with a lot of hype, relative to most Double-A games. His suspension delayed the start to his season by a couple months, but that inactivity will allow him to pitch without serious restrictions for the remainder of the season. If he pitches up to his standards, he'll be ready for the majors sometime this summer.

Whitley threw three innings of a simulated game earlier this week and is scheduled to toss another one, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley, whose 50-game suspension lapsed May 29, is building up his arm strength after he suffered a latissimus strain a couple of weeks that delayed his throwing program. After the next simulated game, the organization will huddle up to determine if any further arm buildup is required before he's shipped off to Double-A Corpus Christi.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Tuesday that Whitley will likely pitch in games at extended spring training rather than immediately reporting to Double-A Corpus Christi when his 50-game suspension ends May 29, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

EDGE Analysis

At some point after Whitley was suspended Feb. 21 for violating baseball's drug program, Luhnow revealed that the Astros' top pitching prospect sustained a minor lat injury that briefly shut him down for a couple weeks. As a result, Whitley's throwing program has been delayed slightly longer than expected, so he'll need additional time to build up his arm in Florida before likely entering Corpus Christi's rotation in the second week of June. Once he settles into a normal pitching schedule at Corpus Christi, Whitley probably won't take long to assert his dominance and warrant a promotion to the majors, though Houston's unmatched rotation depth could prompt the 20-year-old to make his big-league debut out of the bullpen.

Whitley (suspension) is throwing at the Astros' facility in Florida, preparing for an expected placement at Double-A Corpus Christi, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said the organization is "taking it slow" with Whitley, Houston's top prospect per many outlets, including RotoWire. By taking it slowly with the right-hander, the Astros are conserving his innings for when he eventually joins a minor-league affiliate.

Whitley has been suspended 50 games without pay for violating the minor-league drug program, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is the standard penalty for minor leaguers who test positive for drugs of abuse. Whitley is the game's top pitching prospect, and was poised to reach the majors at some point this season, so this puts a bit of a damper on his prospects for 2018. He was likely in line to throw 130-to-140 innings this season after throwing 92.1 innings in 2017, and he may struggle to reach that mark now. However, he could still join the big-league rotation at some point this summer, as it seems unlikely he'll meet much resistance in the upper levels of the minors. This will have little impact on Whitley's long-term prospects. Recall that Cardinals right-hander Alex Reyes, one of the other top pitching prospects in the game, received the same suspension in 2015, and it's no longer part of the conversation with him. Whitley will be able to pitch in spring training and could return to game action at Double-A or Triple-A in late May.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Whitley could reach the major league at some point in 2018, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 20-year-old right-hander breezed through three minor-league levels in 2017 and is expected to start this season in the rotation at Double-A Corpus Christi, but he could move quickly. Whitley won't be part of major-league spring training, so he won't use up innings early in the year. That way, Luhnow said, the organization can preserve him for potential use in September. If Whitley does make it to Houston, it would likely be as a reliever, as the organization will be cognizant of his workload.

Whitley acknowledges expectations for him may be high in 2018 after a promising first full season in 2017, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. "There's extra excitement," Whitley said of the 2018 season. "I'm going to try to stay in my lane, stay where my feet are and be humble as possible and just play the game."

EDGE Analysis

There's talk of Whitley possibly being invited to major league camp at spring training, which would only fuel the expectations he created after the 2017 season. The right-hander struck out 143 batters over 92.1 innings across three levels as a 19-year-old last year. The 6-foot-7 Whitley will continue to work on harnessing those long limbs, something we saw toward the end of 2017. He improved his BB/9 from 4.1 at Low-A to 2.6 at High-A to 2.5 at Double-A. Whitley, Houston's top-ranked prospect per RotoWire, is expected to open the season at Double-A Corpus Christi with a shot to reach Triple-A Fresno as a 20-year-old.

Whitley allowed two hits and hit a batter while striking out 11 over six innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley, Houston's first-round draft pick in 2016, is blowing through the system. The 19-year-old began the season at Low-A Quad Cities, then advanced to High-A Buies Creek before elevating to Corpus Christi. Whitley has showcased his power arm in 2017, striking out a ridiculous 128 batters over 83.2 innings (13.77 K/9).