The Atlanta Braves will be without newly signed outfielder Jurickson Profar for a significant portion of the 2025 season after he was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
MLB announced on Monday that the 32-year-old tested positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), the same banned substance that led to Manny Ramirez’s suspension in 2009.
“I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans,” Profar said in a statement. “I would never knowingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
The Braves also expressed their disappointment, stating they were “surprised and extremely disappointed” by the news but hoped Profar would “learn from this experience.”
MLBPA(Major League Baseball Players Association) also released a statement, which you can see below.
Profar, who signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta this offseason, had a slow start to the season, hitting .200 with a .450 OPS and three strikeouts through four games. However, he’s coming off a career resurgence with San Diego in 2024, where he hit .295 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs.
Now, the Braves, still searching for their first win of the season, must adjust as they prepare for a tough three-game series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
