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The long-awaited arrival of Houston Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley was short-lived. Houston's 2016 first-round draft pick and former top pitching prospect has battled injuries over the years but finally got the call, only to face five batters in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Braves before being sent back down to Triple-A Sugar Land. The righty allowed a double, a walk, and hit a batter, but was able to record two outs in the inning. Even when healthy, Whitley hasn't been very effective, so we'll see where he goes from here. He's still just 26 years old, so perhaps a change of scenery would serve him well. For fantasy, however, he remains irrelevant.
Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will make his 2024 season debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. The team's other starters will shift back a day, with Ronel Blanco going on Saturday and Cristian Javier taking the hill on Sunday. Verlander didn't pitch at all during spring training due to right-shoulder inflammation but is now ready after making a couple minor-league rehab starts and throwing a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner didn't look particularly sharp in the minors but got up to 77 pitches in his final rehab start. Don't be surprised if the Astros have a short leash on the future Hall of Famer in his first start of the year in the big leagues this weekend.
Houston Astros outfielders Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick will both start on the bench on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. Mauricio Dubon is starting in center field and is hitting seventh, while Yordan Alvarez will play left field and bat second against Braves left-hander Max Fried. Yainer Diaz is the designated hitter and is batting fifth. Meyers, who is hitting .237 (9-for-38) with two home runs and seven RBI in the early going, continues to split time in center field with Dubon. The former 13th-round pick in 2017 out of Nebraska-Lincoln is more of a glove-first player to begin with, leaving him little fantasy upside in deeper leagues. Dubon is the more attractive offensive player and is hitting .282 (11-for-39) but doesn't have a homer yet in 2024.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown bounced back into form on Tuesday versus the Atlanta Braves. In his previous start, Brown didn't make it out of the first inning and allowed 11 hits on nine runs. It was a much better performance Tuesday as earned a quality start by going six innings and allowing five hits, two runs, three walks and striking out three. The three walks weren't ideal, but it was nice to see Brown get back on track after such an abysmal outing his previous time on the mound. Brown still got stuck with the loss as the Astros offense didn't help and falls to 0-3 with a 10.54 ERA. Next up will be a matchup versus the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. The Cubs draw plenty of walks and this isn't an ideal matchup for Brown.
Houston Astros prospect Joey Loperfido has made his second appearance in our Hot Prospects series over the last three weeks. He ranks No. 3 among Astros outfield prospects but boasts the potential to be an everyday standout in Houston. He runs well, has a strong blend of contact and power, and boasts positional versatility with his ability to play the outfield, first base, or second base. These strengths certainly make up for his average defense and strikeout tendencies. Over six games last week, Loperfido went 11-for-26 with five home runs, 13 RBI, six walks, and 10 strikeouts. He also stole one base along the way. As his hot start continues, don't be surprised if Houston summons him to the majors sooner rather than later.