Former Twins outfielder Max Kepler, currently a free agent after playing for the Philadelphia Phillies last year, received an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, MLB announced.
Kepler, 32, was given the suspension on Friday, Jan. 9, after he tested positive for Epitrenbolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid, which is in violation of Major League Baseball’s drug testing program.
After Kepler spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Twins, which included a five-year, $35 million contract extension in 2019, he signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies ahead of the 2025 season. In Philadelphia, Kepler hit .216 with 18 homers and 52 RBI in 127 games.
Kepler, the all-time home run leader at Target Field (84), accumulated 161 homers and 893 hits in 1,072 games with the Twins.
As a result of the suspension, Kepler is ineligible to play in the 2026 postseason.
Dodgers claim Fitzgerald
Former Twins shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 9. Fitzgerald, who played in 24 games with the Twins last season, was designated for assignment on Jan. 2 after the Twins completed a trade with Miami for first baseman Eric Wagaman.
