Cards' Gonzalez suspended 50 games

Cardinals prospect Yoenny Gonzalez was suspended for 50 games on Thursday following an undisclosed violation of the Minor League drug program.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said the Johnson City outfielder was suspended without pay "for his violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program." The ban is effective immediately.

Gonzalez was batting .192 with no home runs, 10 RBIs and six extra-base hits in 32 games for Johnson City in the Appalachian League. He last played on Aug. 19, going 0-for-1 against Bristol.

Drafted by St. Louis in the eighth round of the 2012 Draft out of Central Florida, the switch-hitting center fielder hit .227 with six RBIs in 41 games in the Gulf Coast League last year. 

Gonzalez is the 39th player and first Cardinals farmhand to be suspended for violating the Minor League program in 2013.