Scenery has changed for Forrest Whitley, but Rays hope arm is the same

TAMPA — He has been a prodigy and a bust. A culprit of his own doing and a victim of cruel circumstances.

He was once the best pitching prospect in the game, and was also dumped last week for next to nothing. Now, all these years later, Forrest Whitley just wants the chance to be the one thing that has mostly eluded him:

A dependable big-league pitcher.

Whitley was acquired by the Rays in a cash deal after he was designated for assignment by the Astros last week and added to Tampa Bay’s roster on Monday with Mason Englert going back to Triple-A Durham to clear a bullpen spot.

“To be honest, I feel like my stuff is better than it was when I was drafted,” Whitley said. “It’s just a matter of getting confidence with it. Last year I got on a really hot streak in Triple A and when I look back on that, it was just a confidence thing. Throwing up a bunch of zeroes and keep doing that. If I can keep doing that, we’ll be in a really good spot.”

Whitley, 27, was the No. 17 pick in the 2016 draft and was pitching in Double A by the time he was 19. He was suspended 50 games in 2018 for violating the minor-league drug program and then endured a series of injuries to his oblique, lat and shoulder before having Tommy John surgery on his elbow in 2021. In recent years he’s been sidelined with knee problems.

The Rays and pitching coach Kyle Snyder have had remarkable success in resuscitating the careers of pitchers with high-end stuff, and they’re hopeful that some minor adjustments will help Whitley with the control problems that have plagued him in recent years.

Whitley has given up 10 walks in 13 innings between Triple A and the majors this season, but also has 17 strikeouts.

“We need innings, we need outs, we need to compete right now, but we can still develop,” manager Kevin Cash said. “You look at what (Drew Rasmussen) and (Shane) Baz have done. Ras added a changeup and Baz a cutter (on Sunday) so there’s still developing that goes on at this level in between outings.

“I know that will be the emphasis but we ultimately want to simplify the message and let him find his way to have some success.”

Whitley, who has been friends with Baz since they were teenagers, called the Rays right-hander as soon as he heard about the trade. It was a relief, he said, to know where he was going after the uncertainty of being designated.

“They were rough (days) because I had been with the organization my entire career,” Whitley said. “Once you get axed from that situation, there is so much uncertainty in the air, especially with the way I pitched. It wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all great either.

“It’s not that the Astros were doing anything wrong, it’s just at some point things weren’t working out. So I’ve kind of thought a change of scenery would help me.”

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Explore all your optionsThank goodnessRays reliever Manny Rodriguez says he hopes to start throwing again in two days. [ CHRIS O’MEARA | AP ]

Manny Rodriguez put up his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance in his last outing in Boston on June 9, but the right-handed reliever woke up the following morning with tightness in his forearm. That led to some uneasy moments before meeting with team doctor Koco Eaton and discovering there was no ligament damage, just some inflammation.

“I’m content, but not happy,” Rodriguez said via interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “Because I trained hard in the offseason and I wasn’t expecting this but it’s a good thing it’s not my ligament.

“I’m going to rest for two more days and then start throwing and hopefully everything will be fine by then.”

Rehab rumblings

Shane McClanahan’s rehab appears to be on the upswing after some concerns last week following a bullpen session. McClanahan has been sidelined since late spring with nerve irritation in his left arm.

“Shane is doing great. I mean, really good. Says it’s the best he’s felt,” Cash said. “We’re still having him see Dr. (Gregory) Pearl (Tuesday) in Texas.”

In other rehab news, Richie Palacios (knee) will play outfield and second base at Triple-A Durham this week after going 1-for-6 with two walks while at designated hitter and leftfield over the weekend. Ha-Seong Kim will do some light activity while allowing inflammation to subside on his hamstring and the Rays will soon have new plan for Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) after taking some time off following a setback.

MiscellanyRays manager Kevin Cash disputes a call with first base umpire Bruce Dreckman, when outfielder Josh Lowe bunted during the second inning. Replays clearly showed Lowe was safe. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]

First base umpire Bruce Dreckman incorrectly called Josh Lowe out on a bunt attempt with two runners on base in the second inning Monday. Video replay showed Lowe easily beat the throw, but the Rays had burned their challenge an inning earlier on a close pickoff attempt of Jackson Holliday. … Lowe’s leadoff homer in the first inning was the first time he’d left the yard at Steinbrenner Field since May 21. … The Rays had a video tribute for Orioles reliever Andrew Kittredge between the first and second innings. Kittredge spent seven years in Tampa Bay and made the 2021 All-Star team.

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