Whitley (shoulder) could still contribute in some capacity in the majors this season, but he faces an uphill battle to do so, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "He would have to prove to us in August that he could help us, which is a high bar (because) he's not currently on the (40-man) roster," general manager Jeff Luhnow said Saturday. "But I'm not going to rule it out, that's for sure."

EDGE Analysis

He walked five and only threw 42 of 82 pitches for strikes in 3.2 innings Saturday for Double-A Corpus Christi, interrupting what had been a nice three-game run for him. In his three previous starts -- two at High-A and one at Double-A -- Whitley struck out 16 and walked only three in 12.1 innings of three-run ball. Whitley is certainly talented enough to make a case for joining the big-league roster in September, but he would really have to be lights-out going forward to force the Astros to clear a 40-man roster spot for him. In all likelihood, he will make his big-league debut in 2020.