White Sox infielder Nash suspended

NEW YORK -- White Sox Minor League first baseman Telvin Nash and free agent righty Oliver Suero were suspended on Friday after both tested positive for illegal substances.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Nash received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine, which is considered a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and Suero received a 72-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance.

Nash will begin serving his penalty immediately, while Suero, who signed with the Washington Nationals on July 2 but recently had his contract voided before he appeared in a game, will need to sit once he signs with another club.

Nash, 25, was Houston's third-round pick in the 2009 Draft out of high school in Griffin, Georgia. He was hitting .255 with 11 homers, 38 RBIs and 11 doubles in 46 games this season with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem in the Carolina League. He spent the last two seasons with Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros system before he was released last May. He signed with the White Sox as a free agent this June 22.

Suero, according to MASN, is a 17-year-old right-hander from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic who signed with Washington as an international free agent last month. Nationals vice president of international operations Johnny DiPuglia said at the time, according to MASN, that "Suero is a tall, strong righty with a quick arm. His best pitch, a fastball, has good angle and good movement."

Amphetamines are considered a stimulant and a performance-enhancing substance by the Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Minor Leaguers who test positive for PEDs are subject to a 50-game suspension upon their first violation.

Stanozolol is a synthetic anabolic steroid derived from testosterone that is sometimes prescribed by veterinarians to encourage muscle growth, red blood cell production, bone density and to stimulate the appetite of weakened animals. 

Major League Baseball has issued 72 suspensions to 71 players this year for violations of the Minor League drug program.