Max Kepler Suspended for 80 Games

On Friday, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that free agent outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended for 80 games due to a positive test for a banned substance.

The 32-year-old Kepler tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of trenbolone, which is typically found in bodybuilding supplements and has been used to promote growth in livestock.

Kepler began his career in 2009 when he signed with the Minnesota Twins at just 16 years old, where he played for a decade. Last year, he signed a one-year contract worth $10 million with the Philadelphia Phillies.

In the previous season, his performance was noted to be less than stellar, with a batting average of .216, alongside 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 127 games. Over his 11-year career, he holds a batting average of .225, with a total of 179 home runs and 560 RBIs.

Surprisingly, Kepler has become the first player to face a drug suspension since MLB started to disclose these penalties in 2005.

He accepted his suspension without contesting it.

Interestingly, epitrenbolone has also been linked to other athletes; boxer Manuel Charr faced a suspension for it in 2018, and a year later, 90-year-old cyclist Carl Grove was disqualified from a world record due to a positive test for the same substance.

Last year, MLB had 14 players suspended for similar violations, including two from major league programs. Notably, Jurickson Profar of the Atlanta Braves received an 80-game suspension on March 31, and Jose Alvarado from the Phillies was also suspended for the same duration on May 25.

Even though Kepler may not be signed by Opening Day in March, the league usually permits a suspended free agent to serve their suspension while actively seeking a contract with a team.