Whitley (oblique) said he's close to returning from injury, although the organization has not commented on a possible return date, Jeremy Carranco of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whitley said he hasn't felt any pain since he started a throwing program about a week after first sustaining the injury July 6. The Double-A Corpus Christi right-hander remains a top pitching prospect for the Astros and in MLB, but 2018 has not been kind to him. He missed the first 50 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program before missing three weeks due to the injury. The delays will alter his arrival time in Houston, though a late-season callup in 2019 is still possible.