Kepler banned 80 games by MLB for failed test (0:35)
Kepler banned 80 games by MLB for failed test (0:35)
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Alden GonzalezJan 9, 2026, 03:37 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
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, 33, 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. Kepler’s suspension won’t begin until he is signed by a team.
As part of MLB’s joint drug prevention and treatment program, Kepler will be automatically ineligible for the 2026 postseason.
