Kepler knocked a base hit in the second inning, then put the Phillies on the board with a single in the fourth to drive in a run. He later extended the team lead with a solo homer off Ethan Roberts in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old outfielder is off to a strong start with his new team, hitting .267/.357/.407 with two homers and 12 runs scored across 98 plate appearances.

This is noteworthy because the Nationals are starting left-hander MacKenzie Gore. It was assumed that Kepler might sit against lefties, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, at least while Weston Wilson is on the IL. Given his strong home ballpark and good lineup around him, Kepler as an everyday player could provide sneaky fantasy value. The Phillies’ full lineup is: Trea Turner SS, Bryce Harper 1B, Alec Bohm 3B, Kyle Schwarber DH, J.T. Realmuto C, Max Kepler LF, Nick Castellanos RF, Bryson Stott 2B, and Brandon Marsh CF.

Kepler wanted to show the Twins what they’re missing after they made no effort to retain him in free agency. Both hits today were singles, but they were scalded, leaving his bat at 112.3 and 108.6 mph. Kepler has had an exceptional spring, hitting .382/.512/.706. We haven’t been projecting him as a mixed-league guy, but he might offer some early season value while healthy.

Kepler sat out a couple spring contests with back soreness following a scary-looking collision last Sunday with the left-field wall. The positive news here is that he doesn’t appear to be dealing with any serious injury-related concerns in the lead up to Opening Day.