Eliezer Alfonzo has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing susbtance. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)Eliezer Alfonzo of the San Francisco Giants has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, earning him a 50-game suspension.
Alfonzo, 29, is the first player penalized this year under Major League Baseball's drug program and will begin his suspension on Thursday.
The catcher, from Venezuela, was optioned to triple-A Fresno just before opening day, where he has hit .306 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 16 games.
Alonzo spent the better part of the last two seasons with the big-league club, although he missed most of the 2007 season with a knee injury.
In 113 games with the Giants during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Alfonzo hit .263 with 13 homers and 45 RBIs.
With files from the Associated Press
