Profar Gets 162-Game PED Ban
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar received a 162-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs — one of the most severe bans in recent years. The season-long suspension will sideline Profar for the entirety of the 2026 MLB campaign, forcing the Braves to adjust their outfield plans and roster depth.
This marks the second performance-enhancing drug suspension for Profar in as many seasons. He was previously banned for 80 games during the 2025 season after testing positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that can increase testosterone production. The substance that triggered the full-season ban was identified as exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, meaning it was not naturally produced by his body. As a second-time offender under MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Profar received the automatic 162-game penalty. The suspension will cost Profar his entire $15 million salary for the 2026 season. This is the second year of a three-year, $42 million contract he signed with Atlanta in January 2025. He previously forfeited a significant portion of his 2025 salary due to the first suspension. Profar is the seventh player in MLB history to receive a 162-game suspension for a second PED offense. The players' association has filed a grievance on Profar's behalf to appeal the decision to an independent arbitrator. The suspension also makes him ineligible for the postseason and the World Baseball Classic, where he was slated to play for The Netherlands. Profar was coming off a career-best season in 2024, where he was named an All-Star for the first time.
