Jurickson Profar Set to Miss 2026 After Second PED Suspension
Jurickson Profar has officially been suspended a second time for PED use. The Atlanta Braves outfielder tested positive before the regular season begins later this month. He missed half of the 2025 season due to a suspension as well.
Jurickson Profar gets 162-game ban
The 2026 season for the Atlanta Braves has not yet begun. It's already off to a bad start. Jurickson Profar will not play as he faces his second PED suspension. The MLB handed down a full-season, 162-game ban as a result.
It is not clear what drug he tested positive for this time. MLB increased the penalty for repeat offenders in 2014; the suspension likely would not be for a full season had that not happened. As a part of his suspension, Profar will also forfeit his $15 million salary. He cannot play in the postseason, nor can he participate in the World Baseball Classic like he was set to.
For the Braves, the 2025 season got off to a bad start with Profar's 80-game suspension on March 31. He tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone most commonly made during pregnancy that can encourage testosterone production.
He returned and played 80 games, hitting .245 in that span. The Braves, however, never really rebounded. They finished 86-76 and missed the playoffs. It was a very disappointing year for them, especially because they came in projected as one of the best teams in baseball.
Now, they're hoping to avoid a repeat of that. They are once again projected to be one of the best teams in the MLB, but injuries have already hit. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are dealing with elbow injuries. Now, Profar will miss the entire season.
Profar's statements
"This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game," he said in a statement. "There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite. I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates and the fans."
Last year, Profar provided a statement saying, “I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision. I am devastated that I won’t be on the field with my teammates for the next 80 games. I look forward to competing again at the highest level this season upon my return.”
Evidently, that wasn't the case. The fact that this is the second infraction is why Profar is now the sixth MLB player ever to receive such a lengthy ban. Profar, who is now 33, signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta after the 2024 season.
He will now have played 80 games through two full seasons of that contract once this suspension ends. At most, he will be able to play in 49% of the games the Braves initially contracted him for. Though the length and value weren't huge, this is one of the worst contracts handed out in recent memory.
The Braves provided their own statement, saying they are "surprised and extremely disappointed" in the suspension, but that the team "fully supports the program and is hopeful Jurickson will learn from this experience."
Others who have faced 162-game penalties include: Robinson Cano (2020), Francis Martes (2020), Marlon Byrd (2016), J.C. Mejia (2023), and Jenrry Mejia (2015). The latter Mejia would go on to test positive for a third time. He's the only player banned for life because of PEDs.
Profar's story prior to joining the Braves was inspiring. After more than a decade, he finally realized the potential that made him the top prospect in baseball. He didn't have an MVP-type season, but he had a career year and parlayed that into the $42 million deal he signed with the Braves.
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