Braves' Profar gets 80-game ban for PED violation

LOS ANGELES -- Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has tested positive for a banned substance and will begin an 80-game suspension on Monday, for the start of a three-game series from Dodger Stadium. Profar tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin, a performance-enhancing drug, according to Major League Baseball.

Profar will be eligible to return to the Braves June 29 against Philadelphia but will be ineligible for the 2025 postseason as part of his suspension.

Profar, 32, signed a $1 million contract with the San Diego Padres two offseasons ago and put together the best offensive season of his career in 2024, slashing .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 158 games. The Braves then signed him to a three-year, $42 million deal this past January to make him their everyday left fielder.

In a statement passed along by the MLB Players' Association, Profar called Monday "the most difficult day of my baseball career" and said he was "devastated" by the news. Profar added that he was tested eight times for PEDs in 2024 and "never tested positive."

"This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game," Profar wrote as part of his statement. "There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite. I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it."

Profar's suspension, which is without pay, comes in the wake of a brutal opening weekend for the Braves, who were swept in a four-game series by the Padres while scoring a combined seven runs -- including zero over the last 22 innings.

Profar's absence will especially be felt with Ronald Acuna Jr. not expected back off the injured list for another month. Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have been platooning in right field in Acuna's absence. With Profar gone, the Braves can also turn to Alex Verdugo, who was signed to a $1.5 million deal on March 20 and subsequently optioned to the minor leagues in order to get at-bats.