Braves' O'Dowd suspended 80 games

Braves Minor League catcher Chris O'Dowd, the son of longtime Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd, was suspended for 80 games Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said O'Dowd, a 23-year-old backstop with Double-A Mississippi, received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for testosterone metabolites of exogenous origin, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension is effective immediately.

O'Dowd was hitting .304 with two homers, 16 RBIs and a .429 on-base percentage in 26 Southern League games this season, his first with the Braves organization. In 234 career Minor League games, the switch-hitter owns a .264 average with nine home runs, 89 RBIs and 44 stolen bases since 2012.

Originally drafted by the Padres in 2012, O'Dowd signed with his father's organization in March 2013 and spent the last two years in the Rockies' system, reaching Double-A Tulsa last summer. 

O'Dowd is the 55th player to be suspended this year for violating the Minor League drug program.