Kepler banned 80 games by MLB for failed test
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Free agent outfielder Max Kepler was suspended 80 games Friday for violating Major League Baseball’s drug program.
MLB announced Kepler tested positive for epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance.
Kepler, 32, spent the 2025 season as a platoon outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, batting .216/.300/.391 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs in 127 games.
Before that, he spent his entire career with the Minnesota Twins, who originally signed him out of Germany, accumulating 20.6 Baseball-Reference wins above replacement, putting up a .747 OPS and hitting 161 home runs from 2016 to 2024.
A representative for Kepler’s agency did not initially respond to a request for comment.
As part of a negotiated settlement with the league, Kepler does not technically need to sign before his suspension begins. He will receive credit against his 80-game penalty through games played by the Phillies if he is not on a team before the season, a source with knowledge of the situation said. A league spokesperson declined comment.
Kepler, however, will still be ineligible for the 2026 postseason.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan contributed to this report.
