Overview
- Major League Baseball announced the suspension on Friday after Kepler tested positive for epitrenbolon, a metabolite of the anabolic steroid trenbolone.
- Under league rules, the ban sidelines him for roughly half of the regular season and makes him ineligible for any postseason games.
- Kepler is currently unsigned after playing last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, who exited in the first round against the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Reporters note the absence and playoff ineligibility are likely to complicate his efforts to secure a new contract for the upcoming season.
- The Berlin-born outfielder debuted in 2015, spent nine seasons with the Minnesota Twins, then joined Philadelphia for 2025.