Astros Bullpen Reinforcements Closing in on Return to Major Leagues

Three Houston Astros bullpen options are either wrapping up rehab assignment or preparing to start rehab assignments this week.

Houston Astros pitcher Forrest Whitley (60) delivers the pitch in the fourth inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Houston Astros are looking forward to getting three potential options in their bullpen back in the coming weeks.

Per The Athletic, the first to return could be Forrest Whitley, the former first-round pick who has endured injuries to become a solid bullpen option in the last year. Houston hopes that Whitley will pitch more than one inning during a game with Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday. He could be ready to return to the Majors after that.

Whitley, a right-hander, suffered a knee injury during spring training and the Astros put him on the 15-day injured list before opening day. He started his rehab assignment last week and has pitched in three games. He is 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA, giving up two hits and two runs in 2.2 innings. He has struck out two and walked one.

He finally made his MLB debut last year, appearing in three games and throwing 3.1 innings of relief, striking out five and walking three. He gave up two runs, but both were unearned.

Selected in 2016 at No. 17 overall out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas, the Astros signed him to a large bonus deal, and he started his pro career.

But little went according to plan after he reached Triple-A in 2019.

Houston put Whitley on its 40-man roster after the 2020 season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. COVID-19 shut down minor league baseball that season.

In spring training of 2021, Whitley required Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season.

Next up is Kaleb Ort. The Astros plan to have the veteran pitch on back-to-back days on Tuesday and Wednesday to replicate how he might be used in the Majors.

The 33-year-old right-hander has pitched two games with Sugar Land, giving up two hits and one earned run in 1.1 innings. He has two strikeouts and one walk. Houston moved him to the 15-day injured list on March 27 with a left oblique strain.

Ort spent the first three seasons of his career with the Boston Red Sox (2021-23) before joining the Astros last season. He pitched in 22 games, going 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA. He struck out 26 and walked four in 24.2 innings.

Finally, Shawn Dubin threw a live batting practice on Monday and the Astros hope to have him start a rehab assignment this weekend, also at Sugar Land.

The 29-year-old has spent both of his MLB seasons with Houston and has a 1-1 record with a 4.64 ERA.