How Do the Braves Pivot After Profar’s 162-Game Suspension?
The Atlanta Braves must adjust quickly after losing their starting outfielder to suspension for the second time in less than a year.
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Disclaimer: The MLBPA and Jurickson Profar have appealed the suspension. The appeal process is ongoing and could take weeks, or even months, to be resolved, according to Ken Rosenthal.
Less than a year after serving an 80-game suspension, Jurickson Profar has once again tested positive for performing-enhancing drugs. The result of a second offense is a 162-game suspension that removes him from the Braves’ lineup for the entire 2026 season.
For a team hoping for better luck this year, it is another frustrating chapter in an already difficult stretch.
After being the headliner of the Atlanta Braves’ offseason prior to the 2025 season by signing a three-year, $42 million deal, Profar was suspended 80-games for testing positive for PEDs just four games into the 2025 season.
Upon his return on July 2, he did show positive signs that the player Atlanta expected to see over the life of that contract might still be there, posting a .803 OPS the rest of the season. He was expected to have a substantial role in Atlanta’s lineup heading into the 2026 campaign.
Disappointment, anger, sadness. So many emotions across Braves Country are valid right now. Murphy’s Law has hit Atlanta hard over the past few seasons, and just when it felt like the worst might finally be behind them, it struck again.
But there is still a full season to play. Atlanta can’t simply sit back and throw in the towel before Opening Day even arrives. Despite the injuries and suspension, this roster still has a lot of talent and plenty of potential. Now, all eyes turn to how Atlanta plans to respond.
Breaking Down the Second Suspension
Last season, Profar tested positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, also known as hCG. While it is a banned substance, it is also commonly used as a fertility drug. Many people, myself included, gave him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he had used it while trying to start a family during the offseason.
In fact, his wife did become pregnant and they welcomed a healthy baby in September. Would it still have been wrong? Absolutely. But at least there would have been a human explanation behind it. One time can be labeled as a mistake.
After the most recent news that he again tested positive for PEDs, this time for exogenous testosterone, that benefit of the doubt disappears.
Last season, Profar expressed remorse to the fans, his teammates, and the organization. In a statement Profar released after the suspension he stated, “It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it.”
Even during Spring Training just weeks before new broke, Profar was asked about his suspension last season. Alison Mastrangelo of WSB asked him, “Did you do anything this offseason to make sure that mix-up that happened before…never happens again?” Profar smiled and answered back with a simple, “Yes….yes.”
Well… I guess that was a lie.
By the time Profar’s 162-game suspension is completed, he will have been active for just 25% of possible games across two seasons. He was set to earn $12 million in 2025, but because of the suspension, he only took home roughly $6 million. In 2026, he will forfeit the entire $15 million owed to him. In total, he will take home just 22% of the possible $27 million he could have earned between 2025 and 2026.
The jury is still out on what happens next in 2027 for Profar, the Braves, and even Major League Baseball as a whole. If he were to be suspended again, it would result in a lifetime ban from baseball. A fate that only former pitcher Jenrry Mejía has suffered.
Depth Being Tested Immediately
If there is any good news for Atlanta in this situation, it is that GM Alex Anthopoulos made depth a priority this offseason.
Nick Allen was traded in a deal that brought in utilityman Mauricio Dubón. Ha-Seong Kim was brought back on a one-year, $20 million deal. Mike Yastrzemski was signed in free agency to a two-year contract. However, that depth is already being tested.
Kim landed on the injured list before Spring Training even began after slipping on ice back home in South Korea. Yes, you read that correctly. The Braves hope he can return sometime in early to mid-May, but for now that has forced Dubón into the starting shortstop role.
Profar was expected to be in the everyday lineup, though defensively he was projected to platoon in left field with Yastrzemski. With Profar now out of the picture, Yastrzemski will likely take on more of an everyday role.
Ideally, Atlanta would prefer a platoon, which could lead to Eli White being his platoon partner unless Yastrzemski proves he can handle those matchups.
Sean Murphy will also begin the season on the injured list. If he returns sometime in May as the Braves hope, he could provide another right-handed bat in the lineup against left-handed pitching.
It is far from the ideal setup Atlanta envisioned just a few months ago. Still, it should be enough to keep the team afloat until reinforcements return from the injured list.
Where the Braves Go From Here
In a perfect world, Atlanta would be able to find a direct replacement for Profar. The timing makes that extremely difficult. With this suspension coming down in early March, most free agents who could help have already signed. This is also the time of year when teams rarely trade meaningful talent because every club still believes it has a chance to compete.
Signing any remaining free-agent options won’t move the needle much for Atlanta. If they can find a trade partner, then it becomes a different conversation.
Could Minnesota finally consider moving Byron Buxton? Could the Cardinals continue their teardown? Would Boston consider dealing from its outfield depth in exchange for bullpen help? Does Anthopoulos have another unexpected move in his back pocket? It is possible, but right now it feels more like a long shot than a realistic expectation.
For now, Atlanta will continue on with Eli White, and whoever wins the last bench position in Spring Training between Dominic Smith, Ben Gamel, and Brett Wisely.
One thing this suspension does provide is financial flexibility. Atlanta will now save $15 million from Profar’s salary and gain roughly another $3 million in tax relief by dropping below the competitive balance tax threshold.
As things currently stand, Atlanta has just over $10 million in space before reaching the CBT limit. Many expected the Braves to surpass the $244 million threshold this season and potentially push toward a top five payroll after resetting the tax last year.
While that likely will not happen by Opening Day, the Braves now have a reserve of cash they can use during the season. As teams gain a clearer understanding of where they stand in the standings, more clubs will become open to trade conversations involving players with larger contracts. Only time will tell if that comes to fruition.
Final Thoughts
Atlanta still has the talent to compete for a wild-card spot and even the National League East despite the wave of bad news that has arrived recently. The season will rely heavily on its stars. Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II, and Ozzie Albies need to produce.
Chris Sale needs to be Chris Sale. Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes, and Reynaldo López must perform and consistently hand leads over to a bullpen featuring Dylan Lee, Roberto Suárez, and Raisel Iglesias. And above all else, health.
It ultimately comes down to performance and availability. The Braves need their stars to show up, but they also need them to stay on the field. That will determine the direction of Atlanta’s 2026 season.
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Written by
Taylor is a baseball enthusiast and a writer for Just Baseball. An Atlanta native, he shares his love for the Braves, card collecting, and scouting the…