Whitley (shoulder) will make at least one more start at High-A Fayetteville before moving up to either Double-A Corpus Christi or Triple-A Round Rock, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley, who was shut down in late May with shoulder fatigue, started for Fayetteville last week, throwing 61 pitches (37 strikes) and 3.1 innings. It looks like the Astros are building up his pitch count before he moves up to an advanced-level affiliate.

Whitley (shoulder) will make a rehab start for High-A Fayetteville on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley was shut down with shoulder fatigue in late May after opening the season with a 12.21 ERA in 24.1 innings for Triple-A Round Rock. He hasn't been any better thus far on his rehab assignment, allowing five runs (four earned) while walking nine batters in 4.1 innings at the rookie-ball level, but he'll move up to a full-season affiliate Wednesday despite his continued struggles.

General manager Jeff Luhnow said Whitley (shoulder) will pitch for High-A Fayetteville before the end of the month, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley has been sidelined since the end of May with right shoulder fatigue. After making a pair of rehab starts in the Gulf Coast League, the young righty is set to join Fayetteville for his next start. It remains to be seen how many more rehab starts Whitley will require before being cleared to rejoin the Triple-A rotation.

Whitley (shoulder) gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit and six walks while striking out five in 2.2 innings during Friday's rehab appearance in the Gulf Coast League.

EDGE Analysis

This is shaping up to be another semi-lost season for Whitley, who has missed significant time with shoulder fatigue and has pitched poorly when he's been healthy. His stock is clearly down, but he is still just 21 years old and his ceiling has not changed. The extremely hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League has not helped matters. He is a strong candidate to be assigned to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time if healthy.

Whitley posted a video on his personal Twitter account Friday of him throwing off a mound at the Astros' spring training complex.

EDGE Analysis

The game's top pitching prospect has not pitched in a game since May 23 due to shoulder fatigue, but he has been ramping up his throwing program of late. The hope is that Whitley can return to the Triple-A rotation in the coming weeks. He will need to pitch much better this time around in the Pacific Coast League in order to earn a promotion to the majors in the second half.

Whitley (shoulder) is expected to resume mound work within the next couple weeks, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley was placed on the minor-league injured list in late May with right shoulder fatigue and has since been at the Astros' spring training facility in Florida. The 21-year-old is expected to return to minor-league games around the third week of July, assuming he avoids any setbacks.

Whitley (shoulder) has been working out with the training staff in the gym but is not yet ready to throw, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley was placed on the minor-league 7-day injured list with shoulder fatigue. "He looks good. He feels good. We're going to give him a little more time before he starts throwing again. Once he does, we'll come up with a plan," said Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow. With Whitley unavailable and Corbin Martin getting sent back to Triple-A Round Rock because of poor performance, pitching depth in the system is being tested.

Whitley was placed on the seven-day injured list with shoulder fatigue Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Astros will hope that Whitley's shoulder fatigue is the primary explanation for his awful start to the season for Triple-A Round Rock. He's struggled to a 12.21 ERA in 24.1 innings and seen his strikeout rate (which typically sits above 30 percent) fall to 24.4 percent while his walk rate spiked to 12.6 percent. He'll head to the Astros' spring training facility to rehab and sort himself out, so it sounds as though he could be taken out of the firing line for quite some time. Any plans of him making his big-league debut any time soon appear to have been put on hold, but he's close enough to the majors and talented enough that a late-season debut remains possible if he can return to being healthy and effective.

Whitley has a 10.80 ERA over 18.1 innings for Triple-A Round Rock.

EDGE Analysis

The Astros bypassed Whitley, their top-ranked prospect, in favor of Corbin Martin, who will start in place of a struggling Collin McHugh on Sunday. Whitley has been knocked around during his first taste of the most elite level of the minor leagues. He was tagged for three home runs in his most recent start Friday and has given up seven long balls thus far. It's no wonder why Houston tabbed Martin as a replacement starter instead of Whitley.

Whitley lasted 1.1 innings Monday in his start for Triple-A Round Rock, conceding five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one in a 10-2 loss to Memphis.

EDGE Analysis

Making his second appearance of the season, Whitley endured one of the roughest outings of his largely immaculate minor-league career. The right-hander wasn't merely the victim of bad luck on balls in play either, as all four of the hits he surrendered were doubles. One poor outing in a hitter-friendly environment won't dim Whitley's long-term outlook or change his standing as baseball's top pitching prospect, though it could give the Astros some pause about accelerating his arrival to the majors.