Profar will miss full season after appeal resolved for second positive drug test, AP sources say

By Canadian Press on March 19, 2026.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the 2026 season and postseason after his appeal of a 162-game suspension by Major League Baseball for a second failed drug test was resolved, two people familiar with the process told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because no announcement has been made.

Following the announcement of the discipline on March 3, Profar initially asked the players’ association to file a grievance appealing to baseball’s independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman. The discipline followed Profar testing positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body.

While appeals take place the before the announcement of discipline for an initial offense, they take place after the announcement of subsequent positive tests.

An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “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 this year 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.

He had been expected to be the Braves’ primary designated hitter and perhaps hit second, behind Ronald Acuña Jr.

Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss has had almost one month to adjust his plans. Weiss has offered the reminder the Braves won the 2021 World Series after losing Acuña to a knee injury.

“The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news,” Weiss said on March 4. “It just tends to happen that way. Someone’s gonna step up, someone’s gonna get an opportunity. In 2021, the day we lost Ronald, nobody’s picking that option. And nobody’s taking this option. But guess what, and I truly believe that something good will come of this.”

The Braves released a statement on March 4 that they “were incredibly disappointed” about the failed drug test.

“Our players are consistently educated about the (MLB Drug Prevention and Treatment) Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation,” the club said. “The Atlanta Braves fully support the Program.”

In his return from last year’s suspension, Profar homered on July 2 and finished with a .245 average, 14 homers, 43 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 80 games. He batted .280 in 2024, when he set career highs with 24 homers, 85 RBIs and an .839 OPS.

Profar said at the start of spring training that he had sports hernia surgery in November, requiring a six-week recovery time. He appeared in four spring training games this year, going 3 for 10 with three RBIs.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Charles Odum, The Associated Press