Houston Astros

Highly touted Astros prospect suspended 50 games

Published Feb. 21, 2018 12:20 p.m. ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Houston Astros minor league pitcher Forrest Whitley has been suspended for 50 games without pay for a violation of baseball's minor league drug prevention and treatment program.

Whitley, who is considered one of Houston's top prospects, is on the roster for Double-A Corpus Christi. His suspension will begin at the start of the Texas League season.

The 20-year-old Whitley was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 amateur player draft by the Astros. The right-hander played at three minor league levels last season, finishing with Corpus Christi where he had a 1.84 ERA in four games.