LATEST: He is back, Houston Astros re-calls former player.

The Houston Astros’ pitching to open the 2024 season has been atrocious.

They have really felt the absences of Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., and other top pitchers.

Not only has their bullpen been overworked by the mediocre performance from the rotation, but the relievers themselves haven’t been the most reliable.

The recipe has resulted in Houston boasting the second-worst ERA in baseball at 5.35 as of Tuesday afternoon, only better than the Colorado Rockies (5.93).

Verlander might be on his way back, but more arms are needed.

That’s why the team decided to bring in a former top prospect for his first taste of MLB ball.

“The Astros are calling up former No. 1 prospect Forrest Whitley to join their bullpen, according to a source. Whitley‘s long road to the Majors is finally over,” Astros insider Brian McTaggart tweeted.

Whitley was the Astros’ top pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, taken 17th overall.

Injuries and a lack of control/command had derailed his career to this point.

He will be making his MLB debut at 26 years old.

Among the injuries he has had to battle recently have been Tommy John surgery and its recovery in 2021-22, and a lat strain in 2023.

Once a top-notch starting pitching prospect, Whitley will be a reliever for the overtaxed Astros bullpen.

He hasn’t been great in Triple-A this year with four earned runs in three innings, but Houston needs fresh arms and he qualifies.

Whitley’s story is a sad tale of how injuries can run a pitcher’s career, but at least he will get to tell his grandkids that he played in the best baseball league in the world.