Can Jurickson Profar Help The Braves Get Back Into The Race?

The 2025 season got off to a rocky start for the Atlanta Braves when their biggest off-season acquisition, Jurickson Profar, was handed an 80-game suspension for PED use.

After signing a three-year, $42 million deal in January, Braves fans were hopeful that the revolving door in the outfield opposite Ronald Acuña Jr. had finally been shut for good. But that optimism was quickly ripped away. Just days after Atlanta was swept in four games by the San Diego Padres to open the season, news broke of Profar’s suspension.

It certainly was a gut punch. Profar, a 12-year MLB veteran, has long had one of the more complicated careers in baseball. Once heralded as the No. 1 prospect in baseball in the Texas Rangers organization, his first five seasons were underwhelming.

He was eventually traded to the then-Oakland A’s and then shipped away again, after just one season, to San Diego. After starting to show signs of putting things together, Profar landed with the Rockies in 2023, where he posted a -1.7 bWAR. Profar was then released.

But he found his way back to the Padres on a minor league deal, and eventually re-signed for 2024 on a one-year, $1 million contract. That’s when things finally clicked.

He slashed .305/.394/.476 with a .870 OPS and a 148 wRC+ en route to his first career All-Star Game nomination. He also posted career highs in hits (158), home runs (24), RBIs (85), SLG (.839), and OPS (.839).

The switch-hitter had finally arrived, and Atlanta believed in the changes enough to invest. At 32 years old, he was welcomed into what was projected to be one of the most dangerous lineups in all of baseball.

Now, things have changed drastically for Profar and the Braves as Atlanta has struggled with consistency all year, and Profar has the uphill battle of trying to prove himself once again after missing the first half of the season.

How Did The Braves Stay Afloat?

The short answer? They didn’t.

To the frustration of fans, Atlanta was not prepared to be without Jurickson Profar for such an extended period of time. Fans felt betrayed that Profar would do this to the team. And even as Game 80 rolled around, they still weren’t prepared.

In total, six different players have cycled through the outfield this season not named Jurickson Profar, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr.

In the kindest way possible, it hasn’t been pretty.

Early on, Bryan De La Cruz and Jarred Kelenic battled it out for a spot in the outfield. With Acuña Jr. still rehabbing and Profar suspended, both received extended playing time, yet neither earned their role. The Braves even brought back Eddie Rosario for a second look, but it took just three games to realize that his 2021 magic was no longer there.

From there, we’ve seen a rotation of Alex Verdugo (a surprise late-spring addition), Eli White, and Stuart Fairchild. None of them has been able to provide a consistent spark.

It has been a real struggle for major parts of this Braves lineup. Combine the ineffective left field platoon with struggles from core players, and Atlanta has slipped into a slow but steady tailspin. At the time of writing, they sit seven games under .500, and the clock is quickly ticking.

Jurickson Profar Ramps Back Up

On June 17, Profar became eligible to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett, and Braves fans watched very closely. Was the 2024 breakout real? Or was it just PED-fueled smoke and mirrors?

In his first game back, Profar went 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk, a sac fly, and an RBI. Over his first four games, he went 9-for-17 with two home runs, a double, five RBIs, and just one strikeout. Profar was starting to deliver hope back into Braves country.

Over a 12-game stint, Profar slashed .326/.404/.587 with a .990 OPS and a 1.33 BB/K ratio. He walked more times (8) than he struck out (6) and tallied more multi-hit games (5) than hitless games (4). The bat-to-ball skills, plate discipline, and approach that defined his 2024 success all looked intact.

Now, with Profar set to return to the Braves’ lineup on Wednesday, July 2nd, the question becomes: can he finally be the spark this offense so desperately needs?

Rest Of The Season Outlook

Profar’s return brings a glimmer of hope that we may finally see the version of the Braves envisioned back in January. But the harsh truth? It may be too little, too late.

Atlanta enters July 2nd with a 38–45 record, sitting 11 games back in the NL East and 7.5 out of the Wild Card. Based on post-expansion trends since 2022, a team usually needs around 87 wins to sneak into the playoffs. That would require Atlanta to go 49–30 the rest of the way.

For a roster that looks this good on paper, that kind of stretch shouldn’t be impossible. But when you’re seven games under .500 entering July, everything starts to feel improbable.

This is a team that put up historic numbers in 2023. Even after an injury-riddled 2024 season, they managed to perform better than this season and sneak into the playoffs. Now, they’re below the league average in batting average, slugging, and OPS, and bottom 10 in runs, hits, and RBIs. They’ve severely underperformed this season.

Profar’s bat won’t cure all of Atlanta’s problems. He likely won’t replicate his Triple-A production, and it’s fair to question whether he can come close to last year’s numbers. But the good news is he doesn’t have to. The bar set by his replacements is low, and any meaningful production from him should immediately lengthen the lineup and ease the pressure on others.

The Atlanta Braves might not make the postseason. If they don’t, there is no doubt that it would be a massive disappointment. But let me say this: Relax. Seasons like this happen. That’s the beauty and the heartbreak of sports. No matter how talented a roster may look, how much hype a team gets, the games still have to be played.

This is just Atlanta’s turn. It doesn’t mean the team is broken. It doesn’t mean there is a need for a fire sale. It doesn’t mean there needs to be a front office overhaul. What it does mean is that sometimes, especially in baseball, things just go sideways.

There are changes and upgrades that need to be made, whether at the deadline or in the off-season. But I believe in sample size. I believe in track records. And recent history tells us the Atlanta Braves are a good baseball team, just one that’s currently playing bad baseball.

For now, the only thing to do is support the team as they try to claw their way back into contention. We’ve seen enough wild Octobers in recent years to know that if you can just get an invite to the dance, anything can happen.