Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for the entire 2026 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.
The All-Star tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, substances not naturally produced by the body. As a second offence, the suspension automatically covers 162 games, the full regular season. The players' association has filed a grievance, initiating an appeal to baseball's independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman.
This follows an 80-game ban Profar received on 31 March last year after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). At the time, he stated: 'I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.'
Profar will lose his $15 million salary for 2026 as part of a $42 million, three-year contract through 2027. He lost half his $12 million salary in 2025 due to the initial suspension. The ban also renders him ineligible for the postseason and the World Baseball Classic, where he had been slated to represent the Netherlands.
The Atlanta Braves expressed 'profound disappointment' in a statement, adding: 'Our players are consistently educated about the programme and the consequences if they are found to be in violation. The Atlanta Braves fully support the programme.'
Profar, an All-Star in 2024, hit .245 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 80 games last season. He is the seventh player to receive a 162-game suspension for a second PED infraction. The Braves now face a significant void at designated hitter, with potential replacements including Drake Baldwin or Eli White.
