Max Kepler's Comments Become Latest Phillies Clubhouse Controversy

The Philadelphia Phillies have the roster to win a championship.

Sure, tweaks need to be made that will help them truly get over the final hurdle, but when looking at all the talent on paper, there is more than enough for them to win the World Series.

But for that to happen, everyone needs to be pulling in the right direction.

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And Max Kepler's comments are the latest example that everything isn't quite smooth sailing in the clubhouse.

"The biggest challenge for me is not playing routinely," Kepler said, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), on Thursday. "That's the biggest challenge."

That came on the heels of the slugging outfielder only playing in one out of the three games against the Houston Astros to start the week, mainly because the Phillies faced two left-handed starters that resulted in manager Rob Thomson playing the righty-hitting Otto Kemp.

Those comments caught the eye of everyone, but it's when Kepler doubled down on them that caused this to be even more of a talking point.

"I signed here being told that I was going to be the starting everyday left fielder. That's why I came here," he said prior to Friday's game, per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required).

What makes these statements by Kepler all the more strange is that he largely has been an everyday player this season.

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Out of the 82 games Philadelphia has played, he has started in left field in 57 of them, also getting four starts in right for a total of 61 starts.

While that doesn't mirror the usage of Nick Castellanos, his 74% starting rate is the most out of any other outfielder on the roster.

Many are pointing to Kepler's comments as an excuse for his poor play.

On the season, he is slashing .213/.304/.383 with nine homers and 28 RBI for an OPS+ that's 12 points below the league average of 100, not exactly numbers that suggest he should be in the lineup every day, especially when seeing how much his performance has faltered in May and June.

It's not uncommon to see players frustrated with their roles or a manager's decision.

Just a few weeks ago, Castellanos was the center of attention for getting benched after he made comments that were deemed to be "inappropriate" when he was pulled for defensive reasons.

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However, this is now the second example of there being some sort of fissure in the clubhouse that appears like everyone isn't pulling in the same direction in their quest of winning a World Series.

Can this just be a blip on the radar for the Phillies like the Castellanos situation seems to be?

Kepler said he would accept that role if that's the direction Philadelphia wants to go, saying, "That's something that's new to me like, and if that's the role I'm given now transparently, I'll take it on and hope to make the most of it."

This will be something to monitor going forward.

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