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21h ago

MLB Suspends Free Agent Max Kepler 80 Games for Positive PED Test

The outfielder accepted the penalty after a test for epitrenbolone, which also makes him ineligible for the 2026 postseason.

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Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Max Kepler (17) hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo
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Overview

  • Major League Baseball said Kepler tested positive for epitrenbolone, a trenbolone metabolite banned under the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
  • The 80-game ban takes effect immediately, can be served while he is a free agent under league practice, carries no pay during the suspension, and triggers a 2026 postseason ban.
  • Kepler accepted the discipline without filing a grievance, according to an Associated Press report citing a person familiar with the process.
  • The 11-year MLB veteran spent 2025 with the Phillies, batting .216 with 18 home runs in 127 games, and entered this offseason as a free agent.
  • He is the first MLB player publicly suspended for epitrenbolone since the league began announcing detailed penalties in 2005, a substance previously cited in boxing and cycling cases.