Boston Red Sox Minor League right-handed pitcher Marco Duarte has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for an amphetamine.
Duarte, who is currently on the roster of the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, was traded to the Sox in the Rule 5 Draft last season.
"Duarte is a guy weve scouted in Mexico this winter and over the summer and his stuff really came on," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said at the time. "It was up to 94 recently and hes performed for Mexico City last summer. Kind of a little bit of a late bloomer, but theres been some guys in Mexico that ended up being pretty good pitchers. Well see, well get to know him better in spring training."
Duarte, who will turn 26 in August, was a combined 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 15 games (34.0 IP) between Salem and Portland. He also had two saves.