Free agent outfielder Max Kepler has been handed an 80-game ban by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a banned substance, epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone. The suspension, which will sideline Kepler for nearly two seasons, is the standard penalty for a first offense under MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Kepler, 32, who turned 33 next month, is an 11-year major league veteran who spent the first decade of his career with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Philadelphia Phillies last season. As a free agent, Kepler was not under contract at the time of the announcement but remains subject to the league's drug program.
The MLB Players Association had jointly administered its anti-doping policy with Major League Baseball, which led to the suspension being issued following a violation of the jointly-administered agreement. However, the league did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding Kepler's positive test or whether he intends to appeal.
This is not Kepler's first brush with controversy; epitrenbolone has been linked to past anti-doping cases across professional sports. In 2018, heavyweight boxer Manuel Charr was suspended for a positive test, while in 2020, an American cyclist was stripped of a masters world record after testing positive for the same substance.
Kepler, a native of Berlin who holds the MLB career record for home runs by a German-born player, debuted with the Twins in 2015 and emerged as a fixture in their outfield. He is known for his left-handed power and steady defense, having been a key contributor to multiple postseason teams in Minnesota, including division-winning seasons in 2019 and 2020.
With the suspension hanging over him, Kepler's search for a new team will be hindered by an absence that could see him play as little as 60 games next season.
Kepler, 32, who turned 33 next month, is an 11-year major league veteran who spent the first decade of his career with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Philadelphia Phillies last season. As a free agent, Kepler was not under contract at the time of the announcement but remains subject to the league's drug program.
The MLB Players Association had jointly administered its anti-doping policy with Major League Baseball, which led to the suspension being issued following a violation of the jointly-administered agreement. However, the league did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding Kepler's positive test or whether he intends to appeal.
This is not Kepler's first brush with controversy; epitrenbolone has been linked to past anti-doping cases across professional sports. In 2018, heavyweight boxer Manuel Charr was suspended for a positive test, while in 2020, an American cyclist was stripped of a masters world record after testing positive for the same substance.
Kepler, a native of Berlin who holds the MLB career record for home runs by a German-born player, debuted with the Twins in 2015 and emerged as a fixture in their outfield. He is known for his left-handed power and steady defense, having been a key contributor to multiple postseason teams in Minnesota, including division-winning seasons in 2019 and 2020.
With the suspension hanging over him, Kepler's search for a new team will be hindered by an absence that could see him play as little as 60 games next season.
! Like, I get it, MLB takes its doping stuff super seriously and all, but 80 games?! That's like, almost 2 whole seasons of baseball gone 
. And poor guy was already having a rough time finding a new team after leaving Philly... now he's gotta deal with this on top? 
The fact that it's his first offense doesn't make it any better, and I'm sure his fans (including me! 
) are gonna be super bummed out.
, can you believe some guys still try to cheat the system? I mean, come on! 
80 games is already a long time, almost two seasons, and now Max Kepler's gonna have to sit out for that kinda thing. What's wrong with these kids, huh? 
Back in my day, we played fair and square, no steroids or anything like that. We worked hard and earned our medals, you know? 
This epitrenbolone stuff is just not cool, man...
it's just not fair to him or the fans who have supported him over the years.
max kepler is a talented player who deserves better than to be sidelined for almost two seasons. he's going through some serious stuff right now, and this just puts him in a tough spot.
he's such an amazing player and his stats are insane 
at least he has a strong defense to fall back on 
but still it's so sad that he'll miss almost two seasons of baseball 
️ wish him all the best! 
i mean we all make mistakes but 80 games is a looong time to be out 
fingers crossed for his comeback 
, I mean, who gets caught with steroids again? 
. I hope he gets his life back on track and can make a comeback without getting caught up in all this drama 
. He's been one of the most consistent power hitters in the league since his debut in '15 
. And with the suspension, he's already looking for a new team, which means some team might have to give up draft picks as compensation 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out...
maybe he was just trying to stay ahead of the curve and now he's getting punished for it. 
. Max Kepler is like a legend on the field tho, but now he's gotta deal with this huge suspension that's gonna affect his career for a looong time 
I feel bad for him, maybe he was just trying to get back into shape or something? anyway, hope he gets it together & appeals or whatever 
. And honestly, if he couldn't keep himself clean enough to perform on the field, why should we care about his personal life off the field? Plus, 11 years of experience is nothing compared to having a few months of momentum with a new team - bye Kepler 
. Not sure why MLB even bothered with a joint policy with the players' union if they're just gonna let someone get caught this easily 
. Like, 80-game ban is crazy long 
. You'd think he'd know better, but I guess you can't blame him for being human 
. It's just a shame it happened now when he's a free agent and all 
... fingers crossed! 
. I mean, we've seen guys get suspended for shorter periods of time before for the same thing 
. It's also kinda weird that he wasn't under contract at the time, so did the league really need to make an example out of him? 
. All in all, I'm just not feeling the severity of the punishment 
.
Did you see the stats on Kepler though? The guy's a beast! 
He was doing so good too, hit 35 homers last season 
and now it's gonna be tough for him to find a new team with that suspension hanging over his head