Ross, Perez, Palmer suspended 50 games

Yankees shortstop Tyler Palmer, D-backs right-hander Felipe Perez, Pirates first baseman Kevin Ross and former Angels righty Ray Hanson were suspended Wednesday after testing positive for banned drugs.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Palmer received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine, while Perez and Ross earned 50-game bans without pay following their second positive tests for a drug of abuse.

Hanson, released by the Angels on Jan. 20, received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Furosemide, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Palmer, who spent last season with the Yankees' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate, will begin serving his suspension when the GCL season begins in June. Perez also will start serving his suspension in June, while Ross' stint will be effective at the start of the 2015 Minor League season.

Hanson, a free agent, will need to serve his 80-game ban once he signs with a Major League club.

Palmer, 22, has hit .262 with three homers, 24 RBIs and a .354 on-base percentage in 51 career games with the Yankees after signing as a free agent last June out of Thomas University. Originally selected by the Marlins in the fourth round of the 2011 Draft, Palmer failed to sign a contract after injuring his throwing arm in a home accident. He rebounded with Oakton Community College before hitting .429 last season at Thomas.

Perez, 21, signed with the D-backs out of Fairmont Prep Academy in 2013 and has appeared in 25 games with three affiliates since. He went 3-1 with a 3.67 ERA in 10 starts last season between Class A Short Season Hillsboro and the Rookie-level Arizona League D-backs.

Ross, 21, was the Pirates' eighth-round pick in 2012 out of Niles West High School in Illinois. He's hit .241 with a pair of homers, 35 RBIs and 23 runs scored in 70 career Minor League games after appearing in 44 contests last year with short-season Jamestown, where he batted .265 with 24 RBIs.

Hanson, 24, was the Giants' 47th-round pick in 2010 out of Cypress College, but did not sign. He pitched for Central Florida from 2011-'12 and with independent River City of the Frontier League from 2013-'14. After signing with the Angels, he went 4-5 with a 4.00 ERA in a dozen starts for Class A Advanced Inland Empire, striking out 55 in 72 innings while flirting with a no-hitter on Aug. 10.

Furosemide, often sold by the name brand Lasix, helps prevent the body from absorbing too much salt and has been used as an anti-bleeding medication for horses. It was intended to treat edema, or fluid retention, in people with congestive heart failure, liver disease or kidney disorders, and it's also been used in horse racing to prevent or reduce pulmonary hemorrhaging. It's also used to treat high blood pressure, but side effects include dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The Breeders' Cup prohibited the substance in 2012.

Players are typically issued a warning following a first positive test for a drug of abuse and a suspension for a second offense. Substances considered "drugs of abuse" by Major League Baseball include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other opiates. Minor Leaguers who test positive for a performance-enhancing substance are subjected to an immediate 50-game suspension.

The Commissioner's Office has suspended 22 players for violating the Minor League drug program in 2015.