2 minor league players hit with drug bans

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NEW YORK (AP) Boston minor league catcher Jake Romanski has been suspended 100 games following a positive amphetamine test. It is his second ban for a stimulant under the minor league drug program.

In another minor league suspension Thursday, free-agent pitcher Landon Hughes was suspended 68 games. He tested positive for a chemical compound in Turinabol, a steroid used by East German athletes in the 1960s and weightlifters in recent years.

Twelve players have been suspended this year under the minor league program and three under the major league program: Houston pitcher Dean Deetz, Washington catcher Raudy Read and Pittsburgh pitcher Nik Turley.

Romanski was suspended for 50 games in December 2016 following a positive amphetamine test. The 27-year-old player hit .250 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 48 games last year for Double-A Portland of the Eastern League and Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League.

Hughes was selected by Atlanta in the seventh round of the 2013 amateur draft. The 23-year-old right-hander was released by the Braves on Jan. 24.

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