Max

Kepler

Kepler is still serving an 80-game PED suspension announced in January, so he goes on the restricted list for now. The Diamondbacks will have him go on a rehab assignment in the minors and then decide whether they want him to be a part of their outfield. With Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. getting healthy and Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy still candidates to step up, ideally, they wouldn’t need Kepler at all. But, then, if they thought that would be the case, they probably wouldn’t have made the signing. Kepler hit .216/.300/.391 in 127 games for the Phillies last season, and if he was cheating then, it didn’t seem to do him much good. He doesn’t offer as much defensive value as he used to, either. Maybe he’ll surprise, but he seems like a weak platoon option at the moment.

The substance that Kepler tested positive for is Epitrenbolone, using which violates Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 32-year-old free agent outfielder will need to find a team willing to sign him first before he’s able to even begin serving that suspension. After a miserable season with the Phillies, that looks like a tall task at the moment.

Turner returns as Philadelphia’s top-of-the-order table-setter to kick off the postseason after missing a significant portion of September recovering from a hamstring strain. The 32-year-old power/speed combo fantasy star played five innings during last Sunday’s regular-season finale. Here’s the full lineup that will square off against Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in his first career postseason start at Citizens Bank Park: Turner (SS), Kyle Schwarber (DH), Bryce Harper (1B), Alec Bohm (3B), Brandon Marsh (LF), J.T. Realmuto (C), Max Kepler (RF), Harrison Bader (CF) and Bryson Stott (2B).

Kepler returns to left field and is batting seventh against his former club to close out the regular season after missing two consecutive games due to an unspecified illness. The 32-year-old figures to play regularly against right-handed pitching during Philadelphia’s forthcoming playoff run.

Kepler will sit out his second straight contest as the Phillies roll with Nick Castellanos in right field.

Kepler was pulled from Thursday’s game as he was feeling a bit under the weather and now the Phillies will hold him out of action on Friday night against his former club as he’s still not feeling his best. Nick Castellanos will start in his place in right field and will bat seventh for the Phillies against Joe Ryan and the Twins.

Kepler was replaced by Nick Castellanos when the Phillies took the field for the bottom of the ninth inning on a rainy evening in Philadelphia. He should be considered day-to-day.

Kepler was a key force in the Phillies’ destruction of the Mets here. He was in the middle of three separate rallies and helped put the finishing touches on their victory with a long home run in the eighth inning. Hot as of late, Kepler has an .885 OPS over his last 15 games and has now started against seven straight right-handed pitchers. That’s mostly come at Nick Castellanos’ expense, who’s only started against two of the last seven righties.

Kepler’s home run was his 15th of the season. The 32-year-old outfielder hit a solo shot off Valente Bellozo in the second inning. Kepler has four home runs and 10 RBI over his last 16 games and is slugging over .500 in that time.

It looks like nothing more than a routine night off for the 33-year-old outfielder. Max Kepler will start in his place in right field and will bat seventh for the Phillies against Braves’ right-hander Cal Quantrill.