Max Kepler has 18 days remaining until his suspension for performance-enhancing drug usage is over. But when the ban is over, the outfielder now knows where he’ll be headed.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Kepler, multiple outlets reported Sunday, with Sports Illustrated reporting it is a one-year deal.
Major League Baseball suspended Kepler for 80 games in January. He was a free agent at the time, having spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies. Should the Diamondbacks make the playoffs, Kepler, 33, will be ineligible for their postseason roster, per MLB rules.
The outfielder will be eligible to return on June 25.
Kepler has played 11 seasons, the first 10 with the Minnesota Twins. He is a career .235 hitter with 179 home runs and 560 RBIs. He played in the postseason in five different seasons — including last season with the Phillies — but has only 64 career postseason at-bats in 16 games.
Arizona ended Sunday in second place in the National League West, 7 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
