The Atlanta Braves have officially lost one of their projected starting outfielders for the remainder of the 2026 season and postseason after an appeal of a 162-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s drug policy was resolved, according to two people familiar with the process who spoke to The Associated Press.
The individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity Thursday because no official announcement had yet been made.
After MLB announced the suspension on March 3, the veteran outfielder requested that the MLB Players Association file a grievance challenging the punishment before independent arbitrator Martin F. Scheinman. The suspension stemmed from a positive test for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, meaning testosterone that was introduced externally rather than naturally produced by the body.
Unlike first-time violations, where appeals are handled before discipline is announced, appeals involving subsequent positive tests take place after the suspension has already been made public.
An All-Star in 2024, Jurickson Profar had already served an 80-game suspension beginning March 31, 2025, after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that stimulates testosterone production. At the time, he released a statement saying, “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
As part of the suspension, Profar will forfeit his $15 million salary this season under the three-year, $42 million contract he signed through 2027. He also lost half of his $12 million salary in 2025 because of his previous suspension.
Before the latest setback, Atlanta had expected him to serve as its primary designated hitter while potentially batting second in the lineup behind Ronald Acuña Jr.
First-year Braves manager Walt Weiss has spent nearly a month adjusting those plans. Weiss pointed to Atlanta’s 2021 World Series championship run, which came after Acuña suffered a season-ending knee injury, as proof the team can overcome significant adversity.
“The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news,” Weiss said on March 4. “It just tends to happen that way. Someone’s gonna step up, someone’s gonna get an opportunity. In 2021, the day we lost Ronald, nobody’s picking that option. And nobody’s taking this option. But guess what, and I truly believe that something good will come of this.”
The Braves also addressed the suspension in a statement issued on March 4, expressing disappointment over the failed drug test.
“Our players are consistently educated about the (MLB Drug Prevention and Treatment) Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation,” the club said. “The Atlanta Braves fully support the Program.”
Following his return from last year’s suspension, Profar appeared in 80 games, batting .245 with 14 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .787 OPS after homering in his first game back on July 2. He was coming off a career-best 2024 campaign, when he hit .280 with personal highs of 24 home runs, 85 RBIs and an .839 OPS.
At the start of spring training, Profar revealed he had undergone sports hernia surgery the previous November, requiring roughly six weeks of recovery. He played in four spring training games this year, going 3-for-10 with three RBIs before the suspension brought his season to an end.