It’s already been a brutal start to 2026 for the Atlanta Braves, and the team hasn’t even gotten through Spring Training yet. The latest suspension involving outfielder Jurickson Profar only adds to what’s quickly becoming a problematic year in Atlanta.
On Tuesday, March 3, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time.
Profar, 33, was suspended for 80 games last year without pay after testing positive. He now becomes just the sixth player in MLB history to receive a 162-game suspension for PED use. Not only will he miss the entire MLB regular season, but he will also miss the World Baseball Classic, where he was set to represent the Netherlands.
As expected, the reaction was swift, if not just.
Jurickson Profar’s PED Suspension Draws Criticism
Former Braves beat writer David O’Brien didn’t hold back.
“Only an idiot gets busted twice for PEDs, especially when he already has a long-term contract. Can’t wait to hear the excuse this time,” O’Brien said.
Profar’s 2025 suspension came after he tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone used to stimulate testosterone production.
Following that suspension, Profar said, “It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it.”
WSB-TV’s Alison Mastrangelo later revealed she asked Profar during spring training if he had taken steps to ensure something like that wouldn’t happen again.
“I asked Profar this spring if he did anything this offseason to make sure that mix-up (in regards to PEDs) that happened before never happens again,” Mastrangelo said. “He said ‘Yes. Yes.’
“Obviously — he was wrong.”
The loss of Profar adds to what has already been a string of setbacks for the Braves. While Profar’s suspension impacts the lineup, Atlanta’s pitching staff has also taken hits with injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, both expected to miss significant time.
That doesn’t even factor in the uncertainty surrounding pitchers Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo López.
Braves’ Jurickson Profar Contract Looks Like Costly Mistake
The Braves signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal in 2025 after he spent the better part of the last five seasons with the San Diego Padres.
Now, the deal is starting to feel like buyer’s remorse.
Financially, Atlanta won’t take the full hit. Profar was paid $6.2 million for the 80 games he played last season following his suspension. With the 162-game suspension this year, the Braves will not owe him salary for 2026.
Still, the optics are brutal.
With a potential lockout looming in 2027, Profar’s tenure in Atlanta could end up being short-lived — and quickly forgotten for all the wrong reasons.
It will almost certainly go down as one of general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ worst free-agent signings during his tenure.
Anthopoulos has long been praised for his roster construction and the key additions that fueled Atlanta’s 2021 World Series run. But since that championship, the Braves haven’t reached that same level.
Missing the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, ongoing pitching injuries and a failed free-agent gamble like Profar’s could start to stack up if adjustments aren’t made soon.
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