Ex-Phillies outfielder Max Kepler has a wild theory about positive PED test

The Philadelphia Phillies had hoped that Max Kepler could solve their long-running outfield woes when they signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract in December of 2024. Except for a brief flurry at the end of the 2025 season, Kepler's tenure in Philadelphia was a disappointment.

If Kepler's .216/.300/.391 line and 0.5 fWAR weren't bad enough, word came out in January that Kepler would be suspended for 80 games for violating the league's PED policy after testing positive for Epitrenbolone.

Now a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kepler spoke with PhilliesNation.com, presenting an interesting claim as to how he tested positive for the anabolic steroid. According to Kepler, one theory for his positive test that he could wrap his head around was ... eating red meat.

“Our theory, which we were trying to put together with my lawyers, was the fact that you can consume a steroid with contaminated red meat, which I was eating a lot of red meat at the time,” Kepler told Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation. “Then again, even if you would have sourced the contaminated red meat, there’s no chance that a company admits to contaminating their meat. So this theory was a theory, but it wouldn’t really hold up. So a positive test is a positive test.” 

So is this some wild conspiracy theory? Or do Kepler's claims actually hold water? There's a bit more than meets the eye here.

Former Phillies outfielder Max Kepler's red meat PED claim might not be as wild as it seems

At face value, this smacks of an athlete grasping at straws to avoid accepting responsibility for their actions. The typical line in these cases is that the athlete in question unknowingly took a supplement that contained the banned substance, so at the very least, you have to give Kepler points for originality.

On top of that, saying he's innocent but taking responsibility for the positive test seems like the kind of doublespeak that an athlete who is trying to win favor and sway public opinion would use.

Of course, Kepler dropped his appeal and has since been reinstated, so he really has nothing to gain from trying to spin a narrative now, other than simply making himself feel good.

Digging deeper, it actually appears that there's a chance that he's telling the truth, as wild as it sounds.

Epitrenbolone is an anabolic steroid that is legal in the U.S. for use in livestock to promote muscle growth and feed efficiency. Cattle raised for beef production are the animals that are primarily given this steroid, though there are strict limits to ensure that the beef is ultimately safe for human consumption. It should be noted that Epitrenbolone is banned for cattle in the European Union.

Studies have shown that positive drug tests after consuming meat from cattle that were given Epitrenbolone are highly unlikely "when consumed in amounts consistent with typical daily diets."

Highly unlikely doesn't mean impossible, and the qualifier of typical daily diets might matter here. Elite athletes don't eat like the Average Joe, and if Kepler was following some sort of extreme carnivore diet to increase his protein intake, one would think that would raise the possibility of an errant positive test.

If that still seems far-fetched, consider this: it has actually been proven to have caused at least one positive drug test by a professional athlete. In June of 2018, Olympic long jumper Jarrion Lawson tested positive for Epitrenbolone and was slapped with a four-year ban.

It took him nearly two years of fighting via the appeals process, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport ultimately overturned his suspension in March of 2020. The reason the court gave was that traces of the banned substance were likely caused by Lawson eating contaminated meat in a restaurant the day before the test.

Kepler is hitting .205/.262/.303 over 41 games with the Diamondbacks. His claims sound crazy, but there might be some truth to them. Either way, it seems that he's at peace with what happened. Meanwhile, we may never know the truth.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow