Rockies prospect Fernandez gets 50-game ban for amphetamine
NEW YORK (AP) — Colorado Rockies prospect Vince Fernandez has been suspended 50 games under baseball’s minor league drug program after testing positive for amphetamine.
Fernandez is an outfielder with Double-A Hartford and was ranked the 24th best player in Colorado’s farm system by MLB.com prior to the season.
The Rockies selected Fernandez in the 10th round of the 2016 draft, and the 23-year-old has hit well at each of his minor league stops. He is batting .263 with 13 home runs and a .943 OPS in 51 games with the Yard Goats.
The commissioner’s office announced the ban Friday. There have been 19 players suspended this year under the minor league program, plus five major leaguers including Boston pitcher Steven Wright and Kansas City pitcher Eric Skoglund.
