{
  "id": 2099809,
  "title": "German baseball star Kepler blames meat for positive doping test",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/german-baseball-star-kepler-blames-meat-for-positive-doping-test",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-20T08:18:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/german-baseball-star-kepler-blames-081845319.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Minnesota Twins baseball star Max Kepler has attributed his recent positive doping test to contaminated meat, according to a recent interview with broadcaster Sport1. Kepler, who was suspended by the MLB for 80 games in January, suggested that the substance in his sample, epitrenbolone - an anabolic steroid used in bodybuilding and cattle growth promotion - could have been introduced through tainted red meat. This theory is supported by past cases where contaminated red meat was the source of positive doping tests. However, Kepler stated that the source of the contamination could not be identified in his case. Kepler, currently playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, is earning a mere $780,000 minimum salary, a significant drop from the $10 million he earned with the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite this financial setback, Kepler expressed gratitude for his opportunity, noting that both the minimum salary and his current contract are far more than he could have ever anticipated.",
  "summary": "German baseball player Max Kepler, who was suspended by the MLB for 80 games in January after a positive doping test, has suggested that contaminated meat could have caused his result. The 33-year-old from Berlin has only been allowed to play in the top North American league again since the end of June.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}