HOUSTON – Forrest Whitley, the Houston Astros' top pitching prospect, apologized Tuesday for his actions that led to a 50-game suspension that was handed down last week.
Major League Baseball officials said Whitley was suspended without pay for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension is effective at the start of the Texas League season.
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Whitley, 20, issued a statement on Twitter about the suspension. It read:
“In light of the recent events, I want to personally apologize to everyone I’ve effected from what happened. It’s (an) incredibly unfortunate situation that I will never forgive myself for. Nobody is more disappointed than I am. I’ve affected countless people through this and all I can do is apologize. Although it may seem like a bad situation now, I see an opportunity to better myself not only as a person but as a player. The upward trajectory I was on was not sustainable, and I was bound to face some form of adversity. I’m going to bounce back from this and make my teammates, family and the ones closest to me proud. I am more driven than I’ve ever been.”
Whitley, 20, is on the roster of the Corpus Christi Hooks, the 'Stros Double-A affiliate.
He is the 10th best prospect in all of MLB, according to Baseball America's 2018 Top 100 prospects list.
Whitley jumped from A ball to Double-A in 2017, going 5-4 with a 2.83 ERA across three teams.
He was drafted by the Astros in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander features a great slider and change-up combination.
Editor’s note: Whitley tweeted a correction to the opening words of his statement, and that correction is reflected in this story. Some grammar in the statement has also been corrected.