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Shane Watson, former first-round pick, suspended 50 games for drug abuse

Shane Watson, the Phillies' first pick in the 2012 draft, was suspended 50 games Friday by Major League Baseball after a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Shane Watson, the Phillies' first pick in the 2012 draft, was suspended 50 games Friday by Major League Baseball after a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

His suspension will cover the start of the 2015 season. Watson missed the entire minor-league season because of shoulder surgery, and his future is unclear. The 21-year-old righthander could serve his time while on the disabled list.

The Phillies paid Watson a $1.29 million signing bonus.

"I think he's still in that phase of his rehab that we don't exactly know how he's going to come out the other end of it," Joe Jordan, the Phillies' director of player development, said last month. "We believe the guy is going to pitch again."

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