Max Kepler, the outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025 after spending a decade with the Minnesota Twins, has been handed an 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball due to violating the league's steroid policy. The news broke on Friday, as reported by MLB.com Insider Mark Feinsand and other sources.
According to the league, Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. This not only means he will miss 80 regular-season games but also be ineligible for the playoffs. The suspension comes at a particularly inopportune time, as Kepler struggled with his performance throughout the season. He batted .216 with a slugging percentage of .391 and hit just 18 home runs, well below his career averages.
The Phillies had been considering parting ways with Kepler after trading for outfielder Harrison Bader at the deadline. However, manager Rob Thomson kept Kepler in the lineup against right-handers, and the left-hander suddenly showed improvement in August, posting a .273 batting average and 9 RBIs over three games.
Despite this brief resurgence, Kepler's struggles continued in September, with four home runs being his best performance of the month. However, he struggled in the playoffs, going without a homer or RBI in 12 at-bats.
This latest suspension is not the first for a Phillies player this season. Relief pitcher José Alvarado was also suspended for 80 games and the playoffs after testing positive for a banned substance. The news adds to the poor look for the Phillies, who won 96 games last season but struggled with discipline in their clubhouse.
The team has since signed former Texans outfielder Adolis García to play right field and will be giving high-ranked prospect Justin Crawford an opportunity to be the everyday center fielder, with Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp platooning in left.
According to the league, Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. This not only means he will miss 80 regular-season games but also be ineligible for the playoffs. The suspension comes at a particularly inopportune time, as Kepler struggled with his performance throughout the season. He batted .216 with a slugging percentage of .391 and hit just 18 home runs, well below his career averages.
The Phillies had been considering parting ways with Kepler after trading for outfielder Harrison Bader at the deadline. However, manager Rob Thomson kept Kepler in the lineup against right-handers, and the left-hander suddenly showed improvement in August, posting a .273 batting average and 9 RBIs over three games.
Despite this brief resurgence, Kepler's struggles continued in September, with four home runs being his best performance of the month. However, he struggled in the playoffs, going without a homer or RBI in 12 at-bats.
This latest suspension is not the first for a Phillies player this season. Relief pitcher José Alvarado was also suspended for 80 games and the playoffs after testing positive for a banned substance. The news adds to the poor look for the Phillies, who won 96 games last season but struggled with discipline in their clubhouse.
The team has since signed former Texans outfielder Adolis García to play right field and will be giving high-ranked prospect Justin Crawford an opportunity to be the everyday center fielder, with Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp platooning in left.
80 games for what? Kepler's been struggling all season, so yeah he tests positive for some juice but 80 games seems harsh 
I need to see more from MLB on this suspension, like how did they catch him and what were his BSL levels? 
also why is it always the same players getting suspended? Alvarado last month, now Kepler... something gotta change in that policy 
. It's like they think they can get away with it! 80 games is a pretty hefty suspension, I guess. You'd think someone would learn their lesson by now... or at least, the players would take responsibility for their actions. And poor Kepler, he was already struggling this season and then gets rocked with this news. It's not like his career is going to be ruined or anything (hopefully), but still, it's a tough break. The Phillies are already in a rough spot after that Alvarado suspension last month...
. Kepler's always had a bit of an up-and-down career, but you'd think he could've managed to stay clean by now 
. 80 games is a big chunk of the season, and it sucks for him - not just because of the suspension, but also because of what could've been 
. The Phillies are already retooling their outfield anyway, so I guess this isn't a huge loss 
. Still sad to see Kepler struggling like that... hope he can turn things around next season 
.
. I mean, come on guys! It's not like it's a new thing or anything 
️. The league needs to get its act together and do better than just handing out suspensions without consequences 
. And Kepler's situation is weird 
. It's like the system's broken or something 
. I'm not saying it's all on him, but can't we just have a clean game for once? 
... i feel bad for him, he's been through some stuff this season and then to get hit with suspension like this... it's not fair to the guy who's already struggling to find his form 
. and now he'll be missing out on playoffs too which is a bummer for the team and fans 
the phillies are having a rough time this season, but at least they're trying to make some moves by signing adolis garcia 
and giving justin crawford a shot 
fingers crossed for him to shine! 
. Maybe they should've given him some more leniency? Like, maybe 20-30 games instead of 80 
. The Phillies are gonna need to figure out their outfield situation with García and Crawford stepping in for Kepler and Alvarado... interesting times ahead 
. It's not just about the games he'll miss, though – it's the playoff aspirations too 
. The Phillies had a strong season last year, but discipline has always been a bit of an issue for them 
. I hope Kepler takes some time to figure out what's going on and gets his swing back on track 
. And to think Kepler was already struggling all season and then just had that one little resurgence against right-handers 
. And now this... it's like the Phillies are just getting a face-lift for the playoffs, but still gonna get taken down by a bunch of other teams 
. And with a 96-win season under their belt last year, you'd think they'd be able to do better than this 
considering he was struggling all season already, it's almost like the universe is conspiring against him. 
or in this case, when life gives you a 80-game suspension, use that time to work on your game. 
. I mean, the guy showed some improvement at the deadline but then just went back to being inconsistent 
.
They're already struggling after a great season last year, but now they gotta lose one of their best players? 
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. The fact that he tested positive for a banned substance is concerning, but it's also somewhat expected given how struggling he was on the field 
. The fact that this isn't the first time a player has gotten suspended for a banned substance this season is really disappointing, it's clear that discipline is still an issue for the team 
. Maybe they can turn things around now and make a push for the playoffs 
.