Butler, Murphy suspended 50 games

NEW YORK -- Padres right-hander Ryan Butler and sidelined Athletics pitcher Sean Murphy were suspended for 50 games apiece on Thursday after both tested positive for banned drugs.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said both Butler and Murphy received 50-game suspensions without pay following their second positive tests for a drug of abuse. Both bans will be effective at the start of the 2016 season.

Butler, 23, was the Padres' seventh-round pick in the 2014 Draft out of UNC Charlotte. He reached Double-A this past season, finishing 3-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings over 16 appearances across three levels. The 6-foot-4 righty made seven starts for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore and three for Double-A San Antonio.

Murphy, 27, spent all of last season on the disabled list. The 6-foot-6 righty from Keystone College last pitched on Aug. 5, 2014 with Double-A Midland -- he finished that season 6-8 with a 4.89 ERA in 20 starts. In 105 career Minor League games since 2010, Murphy is 32-32 with a 4.26 ERA and 462 strikeouts in 480 2/3 innings.

Players are typically issued a warning following a first positive test for a drug of abuse and a suspension for a second offense. Substances considered "drugs of abuse" by Major League Baseball include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other opiates.

The Office of the Commissioner has suspended 13 players this year for their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.