Phillies insider outlines role of Max Kepler in the lineup ft. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto

The Philadelphia Phillies signed outfielder Max Kepler on a one-year, $10 million deal in December last year. The 31-year-old spent the last decade with the Minnesota Twins and suffered two injuries last season.

Discussing the move on The Phillies Show, insider Jim Salisbury spoke about Kepler's injury and his potential role in the Phillies lineup:

[9:31 - 18:04]

"Kepler was talking about how his exit velocities last year were coming down and they were able to dig into that data ... and it was determined that he had a core injury that was addressed with surgery ... So maybe the surgery and getting that core injury repair will unlock something in him. Because I certainly think that they're going to need his bat at that bottom third of the order ... So the big question is what are they going to get out of a healthy Max Kepler.

"I view him as a complementary player, potentially a very good one and an important one. I'm not diminishing his importance, but the guys who are going to drive this team are Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Turner, Harper, Schwarber, Castellanos, Realmuto, Bohm, Stott, that crew. That's a crew that is more than ready to win."

Despite the injury struggles last season, Salisbury believes Kepler still has his best years ahead of him if he can remain healthy. While he may be viewed as a supporting player to the stars, he will have an important role to play. Having played the majority of his career at right field, he is expected to slot in at left field for the Phillies.

Max Kepler opens up after joining the Philadelphia Phillies

Having made the move to the Philadelphia Phillies last month, the increase in expectations has not been lost on Max Kepler. In a brief interview with the media after his signing, the outfielder expressed his excitement and eagerness to learn from his new teammates.

While the Twins are a good team in their own right, the expectations for the Phillies are on a different level. Coming into a star-studded lineup in Philadelphia, Kepler is eager to contribute toward a successful MLB campaign.