MLB suspends free-agent OF Max Kepler 80 games after positive PED test
Sean LeahyContributing writerSat, January 10, 2026 at 1:02 PM UTC·1 min read
Outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Epitrenbolone, MLB announced Friday.
The 32-year-old Kepler is currently a free agent after spending last season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played 127 games in 2025, slashing .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI. He's ranked No. 41 on Yahoo Sports' list of this winter's top free agents.
According to ESPN, Kepler will receive credit against his 80-game pan via games played by the Phillies if he does not sign with an MLB team before Opening Day. However, he is automatically ineligible for the 2026 postseason.
According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid.
Kepler has played 11 MLB seasons, his first 10 with the Minnesota Twins before he signed a one-year, $10 million deal to join the Phillies in December 2024.
