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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is reportedly facing a 162-game suspension by Major League Baseball for a second failed test for a performance-enhancing drug.
Profar, 33, was suspended 80 games last season in March after testing positive for chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that aids in the production of testosterone. ESPN was the first to report Profar’s second violation.
Profar issued a statement and then said, “I would never want to take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (7) rounds third to drive home and score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 30, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
Profar intends to ask the MLBPA to file a complaint to appeal any discipline to baseball’s independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman, according to The Associated Press. The suspension has not been officially announced, and because this would be Profar’s second violation, an appeal would take place after a suspension has been 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 .280 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI, all career highs. When Profar returned to the Braves lineup on July 2, he was not as productive, hitting .245 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI.
Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar (17) hits a sacrifice fly to drive in a 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 made the postseason, Profar would be ineligible to play. Profar, a native of Curaçao, had been set to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but is also ineligible.
Profar would also forfeit his entire $15 million salary this season.
He would be the seventh player suspended for 162 games for a second PED violation following New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia (July 2015), Cleveland outfielder Marlon Byrd (June 2016), free agent catcher Cody Stanley (July 2016), Houston pitcher Francis Met 20th second baseman from Houston (Fee. 2020) and Milwaukee pitcher JC 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 Sept. 20, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
Mejia received a lifetime ban in February 2016 after a third positive test, the only player to receive a permanent ban since drug testing with sanctions began in 2004.
The loss of Profar leaves a hole in the Braves lineup as he was expected to be the primary designated hitter.
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