Reds' Ehret, Indians' Ventura suspended

NEW YORK -- Reds right-handed prospect Jake Ehret and Indians outfielder Carlos Ventura were suspended on Friday after testing positive for banned substances.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Ehret received a 50-game suspension without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse and Ventura will sit for 72 games after testing positive for the steroid Stanozolol. Both positive tests were violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Ehret, 24, was the Reds' 14th-round pick in the 2014 Draft out of UCLA and was a Florida State League All-Star in 2016 with Class A Advanced Daytona. The 6-foot-3 reliever went 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings over 36 games last year between Daytona and Double-A Pensacola. He fared better a year earlier when he was 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 45 relief outings for both affiliates.

Cincinnati sent Ehret to the Arizona Fall League last year, where he allowed two runs on six hits and struck out 13 in 10 1/3 innings, finishing with a 1.74 ERA. He appeared in one Major League Spring Training game with the Reds in 2017, allowing three runs on two hits.
Ehret debuted in 2014 and has appeared in 134 career Minor League games. Players are warned after an initial failed test for a drug of abuse and then subject to a suspension for second and third positive tests.
Ventura, 19, signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2015 and has appeared in 55 games over two seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He hit .161 with three homers, 20 RBIs and a .361 OBP in 49 games last year, going 20-for-124 with 16 runs scored. He led the DSL Indians with 36 walks.
Stanozolol is considered a performance-enhancing substance by Major League Baseball -- it's a synthetic anabolic steroid derived from testosterone that is sometimes prescribed by veterinarians to encourage muscle growth, red blood cell production, bone density and to stimulate the appetite of weakened animals. His ban will be effective at the start of the 2018 DSL season.