Major League veteran Joey Gathright was suspended for 50 games Tuesday after testing positive for a banned substance, the Commissioner's Office said.

Gathright, who began the 2012 season with Triple-A Louisville in the Reds system, received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He'll begin serving the suspension upon signing with a Major League club.

The former Major Leaguer was released by Cincinnati in July and is currently with the independent Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League. In 40 games with Louisville this year, the lefty-hitting center fielder hit .299 without a homer, 16 RBIs and four stolen bases through July 7. He then appeared in 68 games with Bridgeport, where he hit .242 with a pair of homers and 22 RBIs.

Gathright began the 2011 season with an independent club, but had his contract purchased by the Boston Red Sox and went on to appear in seven Major League games last year. He's played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs since being drafted by the Rays in 2001.

Gathright is the 97th player to be suspended in 2012 under the Minor League program.