Free agent outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, Major League Baseball announced Friday, a move that sidelines the veteran as he searches for his next club.
The suspension stems from a positive test for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the steroid trenbolone banned under MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The ban takes effect immediately and would apply if Kepler signs with a team during the 2026 season.
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Kepler, who turns 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, he was not under contract at the time of the announcement but remains subject to the league’s drug program.
In a statement, MLB said the suspension was issued following a violation of its drug policy administered jointly with the Major League Baseball Players’ Association. The league did not provide further details about the circumstances of the test or whether Kepler intended to appeal.
Epitrenbolone has been linked to previous cases of doping in professional sports. In 2018, the substance was cited in the suspension of heavyweight boxer Manuel Charr after a positive test halted his title defense. It was also at the center of a case by the American Anti-Doping Agency involving a 90-year-old American cyclist who was stripped of a masters world record in 2020.
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Kepler, a Berlin native who holds the MLB career record for home runs by a player of German descent, debuted with the Twins in 2015 and became a fixture in their outfield, known for his left-handed power and steady defense. He has been a key contributor to several postseason teams in Minnesota, including the club’s division-winning seasons in 2019 and 2020.
An 80-game suspension is the standard penalty for a first violation of MLB’s drug program involving performance-enhancing substances. Players suspended under this policy are not eligible to participate in regular season or playoff games during the suspension period and do not receive salary.
