Yankees' Aceves suspended 50 games

Alfredo Aceves will be suspended 50 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced Thursday.

The suspension, which comes after the right-handed pitcher had a second positive test for a drug of abuse, begins immediately.

After spending the 2011-13 seasons in the Red Sox organization, Aceves signed a Minor League contract with the Yankees last March, rejoining the franchise that first brought him stateside from the Mexican League back in 2008. After giving up three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday, he is 0-1 with a 3.49 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the time of the suspension.

The 31-year-old hurler was called up to the Majors in May and made 10 appearances for the Yankees, posting a 6.52 ERA across 19 1/3 before being being sent back down in early June. He has a 3.83 ERA in 204 career appearances in the Majors.

Minor Leaguers are given a warning after a first positive test for a drug of abuse the first. Second offenses result in a 50-game suspensions, and third offenses are punished by a 100-game ban. Major League Baseball lists cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other opiates as "drugs of abuse," although they do not specifically name the drug for which Aceves or any other offender tests positive.

Three Minor Leaguers -- Tyler Ladendorf, Jabari Blash, Jamal Austin -- were suspended last week for such offenses.