The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Sunday they have acquired outfielder Max Kepler, despite the fact that he remains under an 80-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug test.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed by the organization.
Kepler cannot join the team until his suspension concludes on June 25. Until that date, he will stay on the restricted list and won’t occupy a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster.
In January, Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, which is a metabolite of Trenbolone found in certain bodybuilding supplements and previously used in cattle growth products. Kepler became the first major league player to receive a suspension for this particular substance since MLB began publicly announcing penalty specifics in 2005.
The 33-year-old player posted a .216 batting average last season with Philadelphia, recording 18 home runs and 52 RBIs after signing a one-year, $10 million deal. His 2024 performance was hampered by left patellar tendinitis, and he underwent core surgery following the season to address a sports hernia.
Originally from Germany, Kepler joined the Twins organization in 2009 when he was just 16 years old. Throughout his 11-season major league career, he has maintained a .235 batting average while hitting 179 home runs and driving in 560 runs.
