It’s now official that Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will serve a 162-game suspension, equal to one full year in Major League Baseball.
Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. After being suspended in 2025 for 80 games, Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), which is also used to stimulate testosterone production.
Profar will make an appeal, but his chances are not very good.
“His 162-game suspension begins Friday. Profar can still appeal it. The last time a PED suspension was overturned via grievance was more than a decade ago,” Passan reported.
A second suspension in back-to-back seasons is nothing short of disappointing for the Braves, who had counted on Profar to be a major part of their lineup this year.
Now, it’s back to the drawing board for new manager Walt Weiss.
More Braves On Heavy: Braves’ Jurickson Profar Called ‘Idiot’ After 162-Game PED Suspension
Atlanta Braves Respond To Jurickson Profar Suspension
The Braves released a statement shortly after the suspension was confirmed, making it clear the organization was frustrated with the situation.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Jurickson tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Our players are consistently educated about the Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation. The Atlanta Braves fully support the Program,” the team said.
The suspension puts Atlanta in a difficult spot offensively, particularly given how the team envisioned Profar fitting into its lineup. After signing with the Braves, the veteran outfielder was expected to provide both versatility and production at the plate.
Instead, Atlanta now must move forward without him for the entire season.
The situation also raises questions about the dramatic turnaround Profar experienced back in 2024, his last season with the San Diego Padres.
Braves beat writer Mark Bowman pointed out the stark difference in production that led some around baseball to raise eyebrows even before the latest suspension.
“When Profar got popped last year, some San Diego folks said they were suspicious throughout the 2024 season,” Bowman wrote. “Profar was released by the Rockies during the latter part of the 2023 season and then at 31 had a career year with the 2024 Padres.”
Jurickson Profar’s Career Turnaround Now Under Scrutiny
The statistical jump between those seasons was significant.
With the Rockies, Profar played in 111 games and made 472 plate appearances. He slashed .236/.316/.364 with an OPS of .680 while hitting eight home runs and driving in 39 runs.
The following year with the Padres, however, Profar delivered the best offensive season of his career. In 158 games and 668 plate appearances, he slashed .280/.380/.459 with an OPS of .839, adding 24 home runs and 85 RBIs.
The sudden spike in production is now being revisited in a different light following the second positive test.
Some around baseball were quick to weigh in on the situation, including MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, who did not hold back in his reaction.
“Jurickson Profar is an excellent candidate for the Mount Rushmore of Baseball Cheats. If he had any integrity he’d return the half year of pay he got last year,” Heyman wrote.
For the Braves, the focus now shifts toward finding solutions internally or externally to fill the void left by Profar’s absence.
Losing a projected everyday contributor before the season even gets underway is a major blow for Atlanta, especially for a team hoping to remain among the National League’s top contenders.
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