The Philadelphia Phillies open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, June 8. Philadelphia currently sits second in the National League, trailing the Atlanta Braves by 9.5 games.
After the Phillies wrapped up their 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Phillies outfielder has reportedly signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kepler was not brought back following a disappointing 2025 campaign and later tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in January 2026.
The suspension handed to him was set for 80 games and runs through the end of June.
Following the completion of his one-year, $10 million deal with Philadelphia, the veteran outfielder remained unsigned entering the 2026 MLB season. Now, 65 games into the year, the 33-year-old has found a new opportunity with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
“The Arizona Diamondbacks sign OF Max Kepler, who was popped for PEDs in January and remains on the MLB restricted list. He will still have to miss 80 games and is ineligible for the postseason.”
Kepler originally received the suspension on January 9 after violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy. He tested positive for epitrenbolone, which is classified as a performance-enhancing substance.
With the Phillies already 65 games into their season, Kepler is expected to serve the remaining 15 games of the suspension while under Arizona’s organization. He would become eligible to return against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, June 24.
His addition also will not impact Arizona’s 40-man roster until he is officially reinstated and eligible to play.
His Time With the Philadelphia Phillies
Back in December 2024, Max Kepler agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
During his lone season in Philadelphia, the outfielder posted a .216/.300/.391 slash line with a .691 OPS. Across 127 games and 418 at-bats, Kepler recorded 19 doubles, 18 home runs, and 52 RBIs. It marked one of the weaker offensive seasons of his career, producing the third-lowest OPS across his 10 MLB seasons.
Although there was already uncertainty surrounding a potential reunion with Philadelphia for 2026, the announcement of his 80-game PED suspension effectively ended any remaining possibility. The Phillies also entered the season with highly regarded outfield prospect Justin Crawford viewed as MLB-ready.
MLB Career
Before joining the Phillies in 2024, Max Kepler spent the first nine seasons of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins.
Because he was born in Germany, Kepler was not eligible for the MLB Draft and instead signed with Minnesota as an international free agent in 2010 at just 16 years old.
He eventually made his major league debut on September 27, 2015.
Over the course of his career, the 33-year-old outfielder owns a .235/.316/.425 slash line with a .741 OPS.