Astros' Forrest Whitley: Will begin throwing

Whitley (elbow) reported to the Astros' spring training facility this week to begin a throwing program, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley underwent Tommy John surgery in March and still has another 6-to-8 months before getting into game action. That will unfold in the minors, as the right-hander has thrown just 86 innings of affiliated ball since 2017. The one-time elite pitching prospect has tumbled down the rankings since the beginning of 2018, when he was suspended 50 games for violating MLB drug policy. An oblique injury, a mechanical adjustment that led to a 12.21 ERA in 2019 and an arm injury that prevented him from participating in the abbreviated 2020 season then served to further derail him.