Orioles' Patton banned 25 games for failed drug test

Reuters
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Troy Patton throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the tenth inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland April 24, 2013. REUTERS/Doug Kapustin

(Reuters) - Baltimore Orioles pitcher Troy Patton was suspended 25 games after testing positive for an undisclosed amphetamine, Major League Baseball (MLB) said on Friday. The 28-year-old lefthander, a one-inning reliever in the middle of a bullpen, went 2-0 with a 3.70 earned-run average (ERA) in 56 games last season. Patton, who broke into the majors in 2007 with the Houston Astros, has compiled a 5-1 record and 3.04 ERA since getting his first action with Baltimore in 2010. The suspension will be effective from the start of the 2014 regular season, MLB said in a statement. (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Frank Pingue)