Tigers right-hander Voelker suspended

SeaWolves reliever, 24, banned 50 games for amphetamines

In his second season with Erie, Paul Voelker is 4-6 with a 3.81 ERA over 77 Double-A appearances. (Gordon Donovan/MiLB.com)

By Danny Wild

May 3, 2017

NEW YORK -- Tigers right-hander Paul Voelker was suspended Wednesday after testing positive for a banned substance.The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Voelker received a 50-game ban without pay after testing positive for amphetamines, a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

NEW YORK -- Tigers right-hander Paul Voelker was suspended Wednesday after testing positive for a banned substance.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Voelker received a 50-game ban without pay after testing positive for amphetamines, a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension is effective immediately.
Voelker, a 24-year-old reliever, is 0-1 with a 3.97 ERA in nine games this season at Double-A Erie. He struck out eight and walked one in 11 1/3 innings.
Minor League drug suspensions in 2017
The Minnesota native was the Tigers' 10th-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in 2014 and has appeared in 119 games over four seasons, all in relief. He went 3-4 with a 4.17 ERA in 52 outings last season at Erie.
Major League Baseball has suspended 31 players this year for violations of the Minor League drug program.

Danny Wild is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow his MLBlog column, Minoring in Twitter.