Major League Baseball announced on January 9, 2026, that free-agent outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance banned under MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The discipline was issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and applies to regular-season games.
The announcement was shared publicly the same day, including by FOX Sports’ MLB account at 3:13 p.m. on January 9, which reported that Kepler had received the 80-game suspension while remaining a free agent. With Kepler currently unsigned, the discipline is not attached to an active roster, meaning the suspension does not begin in the conventional sense, and any club that signs him would be committing to an extended stretch without his availability during the regular season.
MLB announced that Max Kepler has been issued an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Epitrenbolone. Kepler is currently a free agent. pic.twitter.com/NrD5SK8yS6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 9, 2026
MLB.com reported an additional competitive consequence tied to the suspension. If Kepler signs with a club for the 2026 season, he will be ineligible for postseason play due to the PED violation, regardless of when he returns to the field during the regular season.
There is also a procedural element tied to the enforcement of the suspension. Under a negotiated settlement with Major League Baseball, Kepler does not technically need to be under contract for the suspension to begin. A source with knowledge of the situation said Kepler will receive credit toward the 80-game penalty through games played by the Philadelphia Phillies if he remains unsigned before the start of the season. A league spokesperson declined to comment on the arrangement. Regardless of how the games are credited, the suspension still renders Kepler ineligible for postseason play during the 2026 season.
Kepler spent the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Phillies after signing a one-year contract that MLB.com reported was worth $10 million. In 127 games with Philadelphia, he produced a .216/.300/.391 slash line with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs while serving primarily as a platoon outfielder. He became a free agent after the season.
The suspension does not affect the Phillies’ current roster construction, and Philadelphia’s World Series futures odds remain near the top of the market. BetMGM lists the Phillies at +1000, FanDuel shows similar pricing, DraftKings opened Philadelphia at +1100 earlier in the offseason and held that number after Kyle Schwarber re-signed, and Caesars lists the team at +1200.
Before joining Philadelphia, Kepler spent the first ten seasons of his Major League career with the Minnesota Twins after being signed out of Germany. During his time with Minnesota, he reached the 20-home-run mark three times. His most productive season came in 2019, when he hit 36 home runs, drove in 90 runs, and recorded an .855 OPS, all career highs.
Across 11 Major League seasons, Kepler owns a career slash line of .235/.316/.425 with 179 home runs and 560 RBIs. From 2016 through 2024, he accumulated 20.6 Baseball-Reference wins above replacement with the Twins, hitting 161 home runs and posting a .747 OPS during that span. He will turn 33 in February.
ESPN also reported Kepler’s 80-game suspension as a violation of MLB’s drug program. A representative for Kepler’s agency did not initially respond to a request for comment following the announcement.
