Nationals' catcher Taveras suspended

Hector Taveras became the second Nationals catcher suspended within six days on Tuesday following an announcement from Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Office.

Taveras will miss the first 25 games of the upcoming 2011 season for his violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. It was not disclosed what caused the ban.

Suspensions of 25 games are typically handed out when a player fails to comply with the Treatment Program. On Tuesday night, the Associated Press reported that the suspension was handed down after Taveras was found in possession of an unauthorized syringe.

Citing "a person familiar with the penalty," the AP said the punishment was limited to 25 games because the incident did not involve a substance.

Most players who violate the Minor League program are subject to a 50-game suspension. Under the MiLB Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, players may only be in possession of syringes if they have team permission.

Taveras, who turned 22 last month, split the 2010 season between Class A Hagerstown and the Nationals' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate, hitting a combined .300 with no homers and 24 RBIs in 40 games.

The suspension comes less than a week after 21-year-old Adrian Nieto, selected by the Nationals in the fifth round of the 2008 Draft, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Oxandrolone. He will miss 50 games to start the season.

Taveras, a 6-foot-2 backstop from Santiago, Dominican Republic, is the fifth Minor League player to be suspended in 2011. More than 80 Minor Leaguers were disciplined in 2010.