The Philadelphia Phillies left their fans confused in the offseason after signing left-handed hitting outfielder Max Kepler instead of a right-handed bat the lineup desperately needed. The franchise said at the time Kepler would be the everyday left fielder, but he's been more of a platoon player. And he decided to complain about it after going 0-for-3 and not hustling out a ground-ball double-play in the Phillies' 2-1 loss to the Houston Astros .
Kepler, who the Phillies gave $10 million on a one-year deal, is currently hitting .209 with a .683 OPS and nine home runs. He's started 60 of the Phillies' 82 games. Of those 60 starts, only three came against left-handed pitchers, where he's slashing just .143/.242/.321 in 33 plate appearances.
"The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely," Kepler told The Athletic's Matt Gelb . "That's the biggest challenge."
Kepler said he was told when he signed with the Phillies that he would be playing every day.
"I was told I was going to be the starting left fielder," Kepler stated.
Kepler's comments came after the Phillies were swept by Astros, with the offense scoring just one run over three games while their pitching staff allowed only five runs.
Before coming to Philadelphia, Kepler spent the first ten seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins , where he was a mediocre-to-average hitter. Since becoming a full-time player in his second season, he's finished with an OPS+ below 100 six times. He did hit 36 home runs once, but that came in 2019.
If Kepler doesn't improve, he could meet the same fate as recently retired Whit Merrifield , whom the Phillies released last July after signing him to a one-year, $8 million deal.
Related Headlines
