Cardinals righty Pierce suspended

Cardinals Minor League right-hander Andrew Pierce, the club's eighth-round pick in last year's Draft, was suspended for 50 games on Wednesday after testing positive for a banned substance.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Pierce 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.

MLB said the suspension will be effective at the start of the 2014 New York-Penn League season.

Pierce, 22, was drafted out of Southern Miss after going 16-6 with a 2.30 ERA in 207 innings for the Golden Eagles. He joined the Cardinals in June and went 2-2 with a 2.11 ERA in a dozen appearances, including seven starts, for Class A Short-Season State College. The 6-foot-3 right-hander also pitched in the playoffs, helping the Spikes reach the New York-Penn League Championship series against Tri-City.

MLB has has suspended nine players this year for violating the Minor League drug program.