Brace yourself: a high-profile MLB name may be facing a 162-game ban after a second positive drug test, a development that could reshape the Braves’ plans for 2026. Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar is under consideration for this lengthy suspension, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday. The source requested anonymity because the process is ongoing and first reported by ESPN.
Profar is expected to seek a grievance through the players’ association to challenge any discipline, with an independent arbitrator—Martin F. Scheinman—serving as the final arbiter, another anonymous source indicated. If true, the appeal would proceed after a formal suspension is issued, given the fact that this would mark a second violation.
Profar, who was an All-Star in 2024, previously received an 80-game suspension in March 2023 after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone linked to testosterone production. He released a statement at the time saying he would never knowingly take a banned substance and accepted MLB’s decision. His agent, Dan Lozano, did not immediately comment.
In the wake of last year’s penalty, Profar returned to the field and delivered a home run in his first game back on July 2. Over 80 games in 2024, he posted a .245 batting average with 14 homers, 43 RBIs, and a 0.787 OPS. The 2024 season also saw him produce a .280 batting average with career highs of 24 homers, 85 RBIs, and an .839 OPS.
Heading into spring training, Profar disclosed that he underwent sports hernia surgery in November, requiring about six weeks to recover. He has appeared in four spring games this year, going 3-for-10 with three RBIs. The Arizona-born player, who hails from Curaçao, had been slated to participate for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
If the suspension stands, Profar would miss the postseason and forfeit part of his $15 million 2026 salary under his three-year, $42 million contract through 2027. In 2025, he already lost half of his $12 million salary due to the initial suspension.
This would place Profar among a small but notable group of players handed a 162-game second PED suspension. Other players who endured similar penalties include Jenrry Mejía (Mets, 2015), Marlon Byrd (Independents/Ex-Braves, 2016), Cody Stanley (catcher, 2016), Francis Martes (Astros, 2020), Robinson Canó (Mets, 2020), and J.C. Mejía (Brewers, 2023), with Mejía receiving a lifetime ban after a third positive test in 2016.
Beyond Profar’s status, four players were suspended earlier this year for positive tests, including free-agent outfielder Max Kepler, who received an 80-game penalty following a positive test for Epitrenbolone.
The Braves had recently added left fielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year, $23 million deal, envisioning Profar as the club’s primary designated hitter. If he is unavailable, the team could rely on Drake Baldwin, who earned the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year honors, to fill in at DH when not catching. With outfielders like Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II, and Ronald Acuña Jr. on the roster, Eli White could become a DH option, while Mauricio Dubón was projected to begin the season at shortstop due to Ha-seong Kim’s finger injury. Mauricio Dubón is also expected to serve a utility role.
The potential loss of Profar could open the door for first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith, who inked a minor league deal with Atlanta on February 17.
AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.
AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
