BANGOR — Maine native Matt Kinney says he was suspended 50 games from minor league baseball for amphetamines he takes to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Kinney told the Bangor Daily News from his home in Peoria, Ariz., he is responsible for the suspension handed down Tuesday by Major League Baseball, but he wanted to make it clear that he took the drugs for medical reasons, not to bolster his on-field performance.

The 33-year-old Kinney, a Bangor native and former major league pitcher, said he has taken the prescription drug Adderall since he was diagnosed with ADHD in 2005.

He said he forgot to file the required paperwork with Major League Baseball this year after being offered a contract from the San Francisco Giants.