July 2, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar (7) reacts after striking out in the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesAtlanta Braves outfielder/designated hitter Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after his second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Profar, 33, will be stripped of his entire $15 million salary in 2026 and will be ineligible for the postseason and this month’s World Baseball Classic.
Profar becomes the sixth player to receive a full-season PED ban since Major League Baseball increased penalties for second-time offenders in 2014, per ESPN.
Profar, who was selected as an All-Star for the first time with the San Diego Padres in 2024, signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta in January 2025. He hit .245 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI in 80 games in his first season with the Braves after serving an 80-game suspension from March 31 to July 1.
Profar’s initial suspension came after a positive test for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy that can increase testosterone production.
Profar had offseason sports hernia surgery and was expected to move from left field to designated hitter this season.
Profar was the No. 1 prospect in baseball when he debuted with the Texas Rangers in 2012 at the age of 19. He is a career batting average of .245 with 125 home runs and 487 RBIs in 1,199 games for the Rangers (2012-13, 2016-18), then-Oakland Athletics (2019), Padres (2020-24), and Colorado. Rockies (2023) and Braves.
The oft-injured Profar missed the entire 2014 and 2015 seasons due to a shoulder injury, and has played more than 150 games in a season only twice.
–Field level media
