Astros top prospect suspended 50 games for violating minor league drug policy

Whitley's suspension will begin at the start of the Texas League season, as he now is on the roster of the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Houston Astros' Class AA affiliate.

Houston Astros Minor League pitcher Forrest Whitley, the organization's top pitching prospect, was suspended Wednesday 50 games for violation of the minor league drug program.

Major League Baseball did not announce the specific nature of Whitley's violation.

Regardless, Whitley will miss a large portion of the 2018 season.

Whitley is not only regarded as the Astros' best prospect, but one of the top prospects in all of baseball right now. "I'm not in a position to release any information beyond that", Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow told the Athletic's Jake Kaplan.

Whitley, who attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, was given a $3.148 million bonus after being drafted by the Astros. Across all three levels, Whitley had an ERA of 2.83, and struck out 143 hitters in 92.1 innings.

Before the suspension, it was likely that Whitley would have gotten a late-season call-up to the majors if he continued to mow down hitters.