MLB news: Braves’ Jurickson Profar reportedly faces 162-game PED suspension
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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is reportedly facing a 162-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his second failed test for a performance-enhancing drug.
Profar, 33, was suspended for 80 games in March last season after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps produce testosterone. ESPN was: First person to report Profar’s second violation.
Profar later released a statement: “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (7) advances to home and scores in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 30, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
According to the Associated Press, Profar plans to ask the MLBPA to file a complaint with baseball’s independent arbiter, Martin F. Scheinman, to challenge any discipline. The suspension has not been officially announced and since this will be Profar’s second violation, an appeal will be filed after the suspension is announced.
Profar was an All-Star with the San Diego Padres in 2024 and signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves in the offseason. If the suspension is upheld, he will have missed nearly three-quarters of his first two seasons with the Braves due to PED suspensions.
In 2024, Profar hit a career high, batting .280 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs. Profar wasn’t as productive when he returned to the Braves lineup on July 2, hitting .245 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar (17) hits a home run in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during spring training at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida, on February 27, 2026. (Jonathan Dyer/Imagn Images)
If the Braves make the postseason, Profar won’t be able to play. Profar, a native of Curaçao, was slated to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but is ineligible for that either.
Profar will also lose his entire $15 million salary this season.
He will become the seventh player suspended 162 games for a second PED violation, joining New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia (July 2015), Cleveland outfielder Marlon Byrd (June 2016), free agent catcher Cody Stanley (July 2016), Houston pitcher Francis Martes (February 2020), Mets second baseman Robinson Canó (November 2020) and Milwaukee pitcher. J. C. Mejia (September 2023).
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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (7) hits an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan on September 20, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
Mejia received a lifetime ban in February 2016 after a third positive test, becoming the only player to be permanently banned since penal drug testing began in 2004.
The loss of Profar left a hole on the Braves’ roster as he was expected to be the primary hitter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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