Atlanta Braves All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance, per Major League Baseball insider Mike Rodriguez. Profar will reportedly be suspended, according to Rodriguez, but the duration of that said suspension has not yet been revealed.
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Profar, 32, signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves this offseason after he enjoyed his first All-Star campaign as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2024.
The once top prospect finally put it all together in his age-31 season, slashing .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs and 85 runs batted in. He set career-highs across the board in his breakout year, earning a Silver Slugger award and down-ballot MVP votes.
Profar wanted to remain in San Diego after the season, but reportedly didn’t receive a contract offer. Instead, he signed a lucrative deal with the Braves, where he’s been the team’s leadoff hitter to open the season.
Now, however, it appears his season will be put on hold.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Jurickson Profar #7 of the Atlanta Braves is introduced during player introductions before the game against the San Diego Padres on Opening Day at Petco Park on March 27,… SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Jurickson Profar #7 of the Atlanta Braves is introduced during player introductions before the game against the San Diego Padres on Opening Day at Petco Park on March 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Profar debuted back in 2012 with the Texas Rangers as a top prospect in MLB. He spent 10 years in the Rangers organization, before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
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After just one season in Oakland, he was traded to the Padres for his first stint with the club. After three years with the Padres, he joined the Colorado Rockies, but didn’t last a full season in Colorado.
Toward the end the 2023 season, Profar returned to San Diego, and then re-upped with them in 2024. That’s where his career finally took off.
Across his 12-year career, Profar has slashed .245/.331/.394 with 111 home runs and 444 RBIs. Profar was expected to be a key piece of a Braves squad in 2025 looking to get back to a deep postseason run after a disappointing early exit in each of the last three years.
More information should be released on Profar’s reported suspension in the coming hours. The Braves face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series beginning Monday night.
The Braves are coming off a four-game series against Profar’s former team, the Padres, in which they got swept. Profar went 3-for-15 (.200) with one walk and three strikeouts.
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UPDATE: Profar has been suspended for 80 games with no pay, effective immediately. He tested positive for the substance hCG.
