Jurickson Profar tested positive for a substance banned by MLB and has been suspended 80 games by the league.
Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) and the Braves outfielder will be unpaid during the length of the ban.
Profar is in his first year with the Braves after signing a three-year, $42 million deal during the offseason after spending parts of the past two seasons in San Diego.
“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience,” the Braves said in a statement.
Jurickson Profar #7 of the Atlanta Braves looks on prior to batting in the first inning against the San Diego Padres on Opening Day. Getty Images
The substance can be used to stimulate the production of testosterone when coming off of a steroid cycle, or to prevent testicular atrophy during a cycle, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The Braves outfielder had appeared in the first four games of the season – all losses to the Padres – and recorded three hits in 16 plate appearances to start the 2025 campaign.
The ban will keep him off the baseball diamond through June 29 and he will not be eligible to play in the postseason for the Braves if they qualify.
In a statement released through the MLB Players Association, Profar called Monday the “most difficult” day of his career.
Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (7) hits against the Chicago Cubs. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
“This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game,” he said in 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. I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.
“I am devastated that I won’t be on the field with my teammates for the next 80 games. I look forward to competing again at the highest level this season upon my return.”
Profar is coming off one of the best seasons of his career – now likely to be scrutinized following Monday’s news – in which he slashed .280/.380/.459, while recording a career-best 24 home runs, 85 RBIs, 94 runs scored and 29 doubles.
Profar played a role in the Padres reaching the NLDS against the Dodgers and got into it with fans in LA, which resulted in a ball being thrown from the stands in his direction.
The outfielder would have made his first trip back to Los Angeles on Monday when the Braves opened a three-game series with the Dodgers.
