Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will now miss half of the season, as he is being suspended 80 games for violating MLB's PED policy, per insider Jeff Passan.
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The 2024 MLB All-Star responded to the news on Monday, by saying it was "the most difficult day of my baseball career."
During his breakout season last year, Profar said that he was tested eight times for PEDs and never had a positive test, yet this offseason he may have taken something he wasn't supposed to.
"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. "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."
The Braves organization also released a statement on this matter, "We fully support the program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience."
Last season, the former San Diego Padres outfielder batted .280 to go with 24 home runs, 94 runs, and 85 RBI's, over-performing his one-year/$1 million dollar contract.
Wow I wonder when Jurickson Profar could’ve been using PEDs pic.twitter.com/ro4AAOJb93
— Phill (@MeekPhill_) March 31, 2025
That is to say, the 32-year-old star earned himself a three-year/$42 million deal with Atlanta this past offseason.
Manny Machado on Jurickson Profar's suspension
"That's a tough one to swallowzl, it sucks to hear it..Profar's always going to be my best friend and I'll support him no matter what."@SportingTrib pic.twitter.com/l5anH6HAdp
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) April 1, 2025
In view of the substance that Profar was caught with, it is known as HcG, which is the same substance that Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez had been suspended 50 games for in 2009.
At the time, Ramirez took hCG, which acts as a masking agent to restart natural testosterone production after a steroid cycle.
This unexplained meltdown by Jurickson Profar makes a lot more sense now that we learned he got popped for using banned substances.pic.twitter.com/oD8mjUfJN4
— Klein25 (@Klein25) March 31, 2025
To note, Profar's former teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. was also suspended 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, which caused him to miss a chunk of the 2022-23 seasons.
Tatis Jr & Sr slipping roids in Profar’s shake so his Braves contract gets voided and he comes back to the Padres on a $1m deal halfway through the season post-suspension pic.twitter.com/frfihqdFmI
— John (@Friar_Faithful) March 31, 2025
Profar's absence from the Braves lineup will be felt, as he was the lead-off hitter during the season-opening series vs. the his former Padres team.
To point out, the Braves are still without their star player Ronald Acuña Jr, who is coming off an ACL tear and is not expected back from the IL for at least another month.
I can’t even look at this Profar card the same anymore pic.twitter.com/mFjE35nnug
— DaddyDimmuTV (@DaddyDimmuTv) March 31, 2025
