Sox's Parent suspended 50 games

White Sox prospect Nick Parent, the son of Chicago White Sox bench coach Mark Parent, was among three Minor Leaguers suspended on Thursday for using performance-enhancing substances.

Parent, Tigers shortstop Moises Bello and Phillies right-hander Gustavo Armas were all handed 50-game suspensions by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball for their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Parent, a catcher with Rookie-level Bristol, tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid banned by MLB, while Armas tested positive for Nandrolone and Bello was flagged for using Boldenone.

The suspensions of all three players are effective immediately.

Parent was the White Sox's 36th-round pick in this year's Draft out of Cal State Monterey Bay. After signing, he worked at Camelback Ranch in Arizona with White Sox Minor League catching instructor John Orton before reporting to Bristol, where he's batting .114 with five RBIs and a .244 on-base percentage in 23 Appalachian League games.

Stanozolol is 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. It's also been linked to 12 Minor Leaguers in 2013.

Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that, in the past, has been used in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. It's commonly known as Deca-Durabolin and was allegedly used by Barry Bonds, according to the book Game of Shadows. Boldenone is also an anabolic steroid initially developed for veterinary use.

Major League Baseball identified Armas as being on the roster of the Venezuelan Summer League Phillies, but the right-hander has never pitched in the Minors nor is he on the VSL Phillies' active roster. Bello was identified as a shortstop for the VSL Tigers, but he too has yet to appear in a Minor League game. 

The Commissioner's Office has suspended 47 players in 2013 for violations of the Minor League drug program.