Former Twin Max Kepler Suspended 80 Games for PED Violation after rough season with Phillies
Former Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. The announcement was officially made by the Office of the Commissioner on January 9, and was quickly followed by several social media outlets posting the news. This suspension will still apply to Kepler despite currently being a free agent after parting ways with the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2025 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
Kepler, now 32, spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Twins, having debuted with the organization in 2015 after being signed out of Germany. During his tenure in Minnesota, he emerged as a consistent left-handed power source and a reliable outfielder in just over 1,000 games. Kepler also set the franchise record for most home runs at Target Field with 81 dingers. After the 2024 season, Kepler signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies, where he appeared in 127 games in 2025, posting a paltry .216 batting average with 18 home runs and just 52 RBIs.
Epitrenbolone, the substance Kepler has been suspended for, is not a drug that players intentionally take on its own, but rather a chemical marker that shows up in testing when the body has processed certain anabolic steroids. These substances are designed to help athletes build muscle, recover faster, and maintain strength - all advantages that are strictly prohibited under MLB rules. Because epitrenbolone is closely tied to these banned steroids, its presence in a test automatically triggers a suspension under Major League Baseball's drug policy. This is precisely what happened for Max Kepler.
Under MLB's current PED policy, an 80-game suspension is the standard penalty for a first-time offense involving a performance-enhancing substance or drug. Second offenses are met with a 162-game suspension, and a third infraction could carry a permanent ban from baseball. Players suspended for any violation involving PEDs are ineligible for the postseason, as well as the number of games they have been suspended for. They also do not receive any salary during that period.
Kepler's post-Twins downfall continues with PED suspension
After a subpar 2025 season, Kepler's decline since leaving Minnesota seems to be continuing, and unfortunately, there is no good way to cut this story. It is disappointing to watch a player who, for many seasons, was a cornerstone in the outfield for the Twins, decline in production and, evidently, judgment. One hopes that he didn't purposefully ingest steroids to get ahead of others, but the fact remains that Kepler has tested positive, and the suspension will happen.
Kepler is currently unsigned, so his suspension will begin once he signs with a major league club; until then, it is effectively on pause. Should he secure a contract for the 2026 season, he will be unavailable for close to half of the season and ineligible for postseason play, even if his suspension ends before the playoffs. The suspension represents a significant setback for Kepler's career, particularly as he enters his early 30s and free agency, when many clubs look at durability and availability as key factors in their signings. In fact, it may be a significant roadblock to getting back on the field at all at this point in his career. Only time will tell if Kepler is finished or if there is a reprieve in the future.