Braves catcher Sears suspended 50 games

Orrin Sears, the Braves' 24th-round pick in the 2013 Draft, was suspended for 50 games Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Sears, 22, received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for metabolites of methandienone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Methandienone, sometimes known as "d-bol," is an anabolic steroid that can help increase protein synthesis and muscle strength, which reportedly makes it popular among some bodybuilders. Side effects may include high blood pressure.

Sears, in his first Minor League campaign, hit .247 with one home run, 16 RBIs, a pair of stolen bases, five doubles and a .303 on-base percentage in 32 games for the GCL Braves, Atlanta's Rookie-level affiliate. The suspension will be effective at the start of the 2014 Gulf Coast League season.

The 6-foot-3 backstop transferred to Arizona Christian University from Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon in 2012 after playing one season at Lamar (Colo.) Community College and graduating from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, N.M., where he also earned All-State honors in football.

Major League Baseball has suspended 14 players this year for violating the Minor League drug program.