Former Philadelphia Phillies star Max Kepler has received an 80-game suspension after failing a drugs test, it has been announced.
MLB said in a statement on Friday that Kepler has been banned after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance that helps build muscle.
The German-American outfielder is currently a free agent after spending the entire 2025 season with Philadelphia on a one-year, $10million deal.
If he signs with a new team for the 2026 campaign, Kepler, who turns 33 next month, will automatically be ineligible for postseason play due to the PED suspension.
During his one-year spell with the Phillies he produced a slash line of .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 127 games.
Kepler previously spent the first 10 seasons of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, where he reached the 20-homer plateau three times. He also registered the best season of his career in 2019 with 36 dingers, 90 RBIs and an .855 OPS.
MLB free agent Max Kepler has received an 80-game suspension after failing a drugs test
Epitrenbolone, a metabolite of trenbolone, is an anabolic steroid intended to increase muscle and appetite in cattle, according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
A number of athletes have failed tests for it in the past, including 90-year-old cyclist Carl Grove – who had just set an age-based world record in July 2018.
US sprinter Erriyon Knighton was handed a four-year doping ban in 2024 after testing for epitrenbolone, while fellow track-and-field star Jarrion Lawson (2018) and UFC athlete Fabricio Werdum failed tests for the steroid.
