Diamondbacks DFA Veteran Outfielder After Unproductive Stint

Kepler had been suspended for the first half of the 2026 season due to a positive test for performance enhancing drugs. The Diamondbacks inked him to a free agent deal back on June 7, but his suspension held him out until Jun 25.

Once he did make his return from the Restricted List, it took him a while to find his swing.

Unfortunately, with the exception of a handful of clutch hits, the left-handed hitting veteran never quite found his rhythm at the plate. Kepler will end his tenure in Arizona with a mere .205/.262/.303 triple slash line, a .565 OPS and two home runs.

Brought in to combat right-handed pitching, Kepler hit just .192 and posted a 47 wRC+ (63% below league average) against righties this season. Though he has historically had plenty of pop, the Diamondbacks never got much of that from the 12-year MLB veteran.

With Kepler out of the picture, Arizona is likely to see more playing time distributed to youing outfielders like Ryan Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy and Jordan Lawlar. Lefty-hitting Lars Nootbaar may take some of those reps, but will likely be used in the DH slot more commonly.

Diamondbacks recall Adrian Del Castillo

Del Castillo — also a left-handed hitter — will return to the majors for the third time this year.

He has not exactly filled up the box score much more than Kepler, hitting to a .571 OPS in 59 games, but he is 25 years old and can provide some catcher depth down the stretch of the season.

Arizona's catcher room is mostly set, with Gabriel Moreno on pace for a career year and veteran James McCann providing quality offense and game-calling to spell Moreno.

Del Castillo is not likely to get into a great deal of action outside of an occasional DH start, but it's always good to have catcher depth.