The Philadelphia Phillies will open a three-game road series against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 8 as they continue to chase the division-leading Atlanta Braves in the National League standings.
Philadelphia enters the matchup sitting in second place, trailing Atlanta by 9.5 games despite recent strong performances.
Shortly after the Phillies wrapped up a 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, former Philadelphia outfielder Max Kepler found a new home, agreeing to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kepler had departed Philadelphia following a disappointing 2025 campaign and later received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in January 2026.
Despite still serving that suspension, Arizona decided to take a chance on the veteran outfielder. Kepler remains on Major League Baseball’s restricted list and must complete the remainder of his 80-game ban before becoming eligible to play.
He is also barred from postseason participation this year as part of the punishment.
The suspension stemmed from a positive test for epitrenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing drug, announced by MLB on January 9.
With Philadelphia having already played 65 games, Kepler has only 15 games remaining on his suspension and is expected to be eligible to return later this month when Arizona faces the St. Louis Cardinals.
Kepler’s lone season with Philadelphia came after he signed a one-year, $10 million contract before the 2025 campaign.
He struggled to produce at his previous level, batting .216 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs across 127 games.
His .691 OPS ranked among the lowest marks of his decade-long major league career, making a reunion with the Phillies unlikely even before the suspension was announced.
Before joining Philadelphia, Kepler spent nine seasons with the Minnesota Twins, who originally signed the Germany-born outfielder as an international free agent in 2010.
He made his major league debut in September 2015 and went on to establish himself as a longtime fixture in Minnesota’s lineup before brief stints with Philadelphia and now Arizona.
