Jurickson Profar Just Got Hit With A 162-Game PED Suspension And It Could End His Braves Tenure

The Atlanta Braves just lost a key bat for the entire season.

And not because of injury.

Jurickson Profar has been hit with a 162-game suspension after failing a second PED test, meaning he’s officially out for the entire 2026 season.

Story Breakdown

MLB announced that Braves outfielder and designated hitter Jurickson Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, which triggered a full-season suspension under the league’s drug policy.

Because it’s a second violation, the penalty automatically jumps from 80 games to 162 games, effectively wiping out the entire season.

Profar had already served an 80-game suspension in 2025 after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a substance linked to testosterone production.

That previous suspension already made him ineligible for the postseason last year.

Now the consequences are even bigger.

The 33-year-old will:

• Miss the entire 2026 MLB season
• Lose his $15 million salary for the year
• Be ineligible for the postseason
• Miss the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where he was expected to play for the Netherlands

The Braves released a statement saying they were “incredibly disappointed” by the violation while reiterating their support for MLB’s drug program.

Profar had been expected to serve as Atlanta’s primary designated hitter heading into the season.

Now that plan is gone.

Reaction & Commentary

This is a brutal development for both the Braves and Profar.

For Atlanta, it removes a veteran bat they expected to help anchor the lineup.

Profar signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Braves before the 2025 season, and the idea was pretty simple: provide switch-hitting offense and flexibility across the lineup.

Instead, his Braves tenure has now been defined mostly by suspensions.

And for Profar himself, the consequences go beyond just missing a season.

A third PED violation carries a lifetime ban from MLB under the league’s policy.

That means if Profar ever tests positive again, his career could be over.

That’s an incredibly dangerous line to be standing next to.

Especially for a player who once looked like one of the brightest young stars in baseball.

Remember, this was the guy who debuted as the No. 1 prospect in baseball more than a decade ago.

Now he’s fighting to keep his career alive.

Final Take

Jurickson Profar’s career has always been one of baseball’s strangest arcs.

From top prospect.

To All-Star.

To now sitting out an entire season because of a second PED violation.

The Braves just lost a major piece of their lineup.

And Profar is now walking into the most important stretch of his career.

Because the next time he shows up on the field…

It might be his last chance.