Giants catcher Escalante suspended

NEW YORK -- Giants Minor League catcher Geno Escalante was suspended 50 games on Friday after testing positive for a banned drug.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Escalante received a 50-game ban without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension is effective at the start of the season.

Escalante, 23, was a 2013 15th-round Draft pick out of Mount Olive College in North Carolina. The right-handed-hitting backstop batted .174 with no homers, seven RBIs, seven walks and six doubles in 34 games last season between Class A Augusta and Short-Season Salem-Keizer. Originally drafted by the Brewers in the 28th round in 2009, Escalante opted not to sign and instead made his Minor League debut in 2013 with Salem-Keizer, where he hit .300 with 19 RBIs in 39 games.

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 subject to an immediate 50-game suspension.

The Office of the Commissioner has suspended 31 players this year for violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.