Free agent utilityman Toribio suspended

Free agent utilityman Rafael Toribio has been suspended 25 games without pay for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced Tuesday. The suspension will begin as soon as Toribio signs with an organization.

The 19-year-old right-handed hitter spent the last two seasons playing in the Dominican Summer League with two different Red Sox affiliates. He produced a .299/.379/.377 line with four triples, four doubles, 21 RBIs and 19 steals in 52 games with DSL Red Sox 2 over the summer. He mostly started at designated hitter in his native Dominican Republic but also played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field and even pitched 1/3 of an inning, during which he gave up a solo homer.

Toribio's exact violation was not included in the commissioner's office's release. The only 25-game suspension listed in the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program is for possession of a syringe, although there is a clause about the commissioner's discretion in terms of punishment for non-listed violations.

Major League Baseball has handed out 103 suspensions to 101 players in 2015 for violations of the Minor League drug program.