Major League Baseball handed down a significant discipline on Friday, suspending free-agent outfielder Max Kepler for 80 games after he tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. The ruling comes under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Postseason ban in 2026
Kepler, who hit free agency in November, is currently unsigned after completing the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year, $10 million contract. The timing matters: if he signs with a club for the 2026 season, the suspension will also render him ineligible for postseason play, an obvious red flag for contenders weighing a short-term deal.
Earlier career
Now approaching his age-33 season in February, Kepler delivered modest production in Philadelphia. Over 127 games, he posted a .216/.300/.391 slash line with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. Those numbers didn’t exactly scream “must re-sign,” and the suspension only complicates his market further.
Before his lone year in Philadelphia, Kepler spent a decade with the Minnesota Twins, where he established himself as a steady power bat. The Germany native reached 20 home runs three times with Minnesota, highlighted by a breakout 2019 campaign in which he smashed 36 homers, drove in 90 runs, and recorded an .855 OPS, career highs across the board.
Across 11 MLB seasons, Kepler owns a lifetime .235/.316/.425 slash line with 179 home runs and 560 RBIs. Solid numbers, but not untouchable ones, especially now. Teams will have to decide whether the veteran’s power and experience outweigh the baggage of a PED suspension and a postseason ban. That’s not an easy sell in today’s risk-averse market, and Kepler’s next contract, if it comes at all, likely won’t resemble his last.