Major League Baseball has handed down a significant suspension to free agent outfielder Max Kepler, sidelining the veteran for 80 games following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.
The Suspension and Its Cause
The league announced the ban on Friday, stating Kepler tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited anabolic steroid trenbolone. The substance is banned under MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 80-game suspension is the standard penalty for a first offence involving performance-enhancing drugs in the league.
As Kepler is currently a free agent and not under contract, the suspension will take effect immediately if and when he signs with a club. Crucially, the ruling applies to the 2026 season, meaning any team that signs him will be without his services for half of the campaign.
Kepler's Career and the Implications
Kepler, who will turn 33 next month, is an 11-year major league veteran. He spent the first ten seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2025 season. A native of Berlin, he holds the MLB career record for home runs by a German-born player.
Under the terms of the drug policy, a suspended player is ineligible for regular-season and postseason games and does not receive pay for the duration of the ban. The league stated the suspension was issued following a violation of its policy, jointly administered with the Players Association, but provided no further details on the test or a potential appeal.
History of the Banned Substance
Epitrenbolone has featured in several high-profile anti-doping cases across sports. In 2018, heavyweight boxer Manuel Charr was suspended after a positive test for the substance derailed a world title defence. It was also central to a case involving a 90-year-old American cyclist who was stripped of a masters world record in 2020 after testing positive.
For Kepler, a player known for his left-handed power and reliable defence, this suspension casts a shadow over his free agency and represents a major setback as he looks to extend his career following his stint in Philadelphia.
