by ANTHONY WITRADO, Staff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

If Jeffress, the Milwaukee Brewers' top pitching prospect, tests positive one more time, he will receive a lifetime ban under the Minor League Drug Treatment and Prevention program. Jeffress, 21, served a 50-game suspension that carried into the 2008 season but he was still good enough to be named the organization's minor-league pitcher of the year.

This is actually the third time Jeffress has tested positive, but there is no suspension for the first offense. The minor-league drug program doesn't reveal the drug of abuse, but Jeffress has admitted before to testing positive for marijuana near the end of the 2007 season. Jeffress also tested positive for marijuana in a club-administered test while serving that 50-game suspension and was disciplined by the Brewers in-house.

Jeffress, a first-round pick in 2006, also spent time in a Phoenix-area rehabilitation program after that suspension.

Jeffress will remain in the Brevard County area in Florida, home of the team's high Class A club, and undergo further counseling and education, which will be set up by Tim Hewes, the Brewers' employee assistance program director.

"We're extremely disappointed," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "Jeremy has been given ample support and education. So we're disappointed that he's going to miss this much significant time.

"He's going to have to make the decision on understanding that in order to be a major-league player, he's going to have to comply with the rules."

Ash said Jeffress made a "significant mistake" but that the team would stand by him

"From the human side of this, forgetting about athletics and playing ability," Ash said, "I think it's incumbent upon us, his extended family, to make sure he's got all the necessary tools to - forget about Baseball - to live a productive life."

The team is also concerned about the possibility of Jeffress testing positive a fourth time, which would result in a lifetime ban. Since Jeffress continued to use drugs after twice testing positive, Ash said that was plenty of reason to worry about another failed test.

"Given he is a two- or three-time positive tester, it gives you a lot of concern," Ash said. "It's tough to be shocked anymore, but it's certainly surprising. When you think this through logically, with what he is gambling with in terms of his future, it's easy to be shocked or surprised.

"But when you're his age, you don't put it in that kind of scope. . . . I'm not an expert in this area, but I think that also speaks to when you get into these substances how much they can control your life and your decision-making."

Jeffress started the season with Class AA Huntsville but was sent down after eight starts to work on his command. He was 1-3 with a 7.57 earned run average there.

At Brevard County, Jeffress was 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in five starts.

Parra shelled: Left-hander Manny Parra, sent to the minors earlier this month, was hit hard in his start for Class AAA Nashville on Sunday. He allowed five hits, seven runs (six earned) and five walks in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 99 pitches, 57 for strikes.

Brewers manager Ken Macha said the report he received from Nashville pitching coach Chris Bosio said Parra lost focus after a couple of misplayed balls in the field.

"(Bosio) felt that became a distraction for Manny and he kind of lost it after that," Macha said.

That could be even more reason to leave Parra in the minors at least through the all-star break. Seth McClung and Mike Burns will continue to get those starts vacated by Parra and Dave Bush, who went onto the disabled list with a micro-tear in his right triceps muscle.

Hart's woes : With Corey Hart struggling during this home stand (1 for 21), Macha sat him and started Frank Catalanotto in right field Monday.

Macha said he had liked Catalanotto's at-bats since he joined the Brewers , adding that he had had the misfortune of getting spot starts against some of the better pitchers the team has faced. In 16 games, Catalanotto was hitting .185 (5 for 27).

More immediate to the team's success, however, is Hart's slump. After reeling for a stretch, Hart got hot and had a 10-game hitting streak from June 10-20 and hit .395 (15 for 38) with three homers and 10 runs batted in during that time.

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