Mets minor league pitcher suspended 50 games for drugs

NEW YORK (AP) A minor league pitcher for the New York Mets has been suspended 50 games after a second positive drug test.

The commissioner's office penalized 23-year-old Brandon Welch on Friday for taking a drug of abuse.

Welch was 2-2 with a 5.18 ERA last season for Class A Brooklyn. The right-hander was a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft.

There have been four players suspended this year under the minor league drug program.

Last month, Mets minor league infielder L.J. Mazzilli drew a 50-game drug ban. He is the son of former Mets star Lee Mazzilli.