Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for performance enhancing substances. This is Profar's second offense, after he was tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin, which is banned under the current CBA. Following his first suspension last March, Profar said "I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB's decision." He was suspended for 80 games last season, his first with Atlanta.
Profar is a former top prospect when he first came into the league. He started with the Texas Rangers, playing for them for five seasons, with most years being littered with injuries. He bounced around the league for awhile, failing to live up to expectations, before landing with the San Diego Padres, where in 2024 he made his first All-Star game, and earned his first career Silver Slugger award. Profar slashed .280/.380/.459, all career highs. Following his breakout season, he signed a 3 year, $42 million contract with the Braves, where he tested positive just before the season. When he returned to the lineup following the 80 game suspension, he played well, posting a .787 OPS, with a 121 OPS+, meaning he was 21 points better than the average MLB hitter, albeit only having half the at-bats as the majority of the players.
The new suspension is a major blow to both player and team, as Profar will now miss the entire 2026 season, and his reputation within MLB is drastically taking a turn for the worse as a two time offender. For the Braves, the player who they signed to a fully guaranteed $42 Million contract over three years will be suspended for a season and a half, 50% of the contract. However, Profar forfeits his $15 million salary for this year, and lost half his $12 million salary last season. The Braves put out a statement saying that they are "incredibly disappointed" with the failed drug test. Despite losing Profar, Atlanta still has a top tier outfield, with Ronald Acuna Jr, Michael Harris II, and Mike Yastrzemski. Dom Smith also signed a minor league deal with Atlanta last month, who could factor in the outfield equation as well.