The Atlanta Braves recently got some devastating news when it was announced that Jurickson Profar would be suspended for the entirety of the upcoming 2026 season after violating the league's banned substance policy for a second straight year. The news immediately hangs a cloud over the Braves' 2026 campaign, and although the players' association plans to appeal the suspension, things aren't looking great for Profar right now.
Recently, Braves pitcher Chris Sale shared his honest reaction to the Profar news.
“It was tough. Obviously, this time of year, we're all getting prepared for the season, and there's a lot of stuff we've got to do to get prepared, and it's not good news. Not what you want to hear,” said Sale, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com on X, formerly Twitter.
However, he also added that “This really changes nothing for us,” in terms of the team's preparation.
Starting pitcher Spencer Strider also spoke on what he felt when he heard the news.
“Surprised, of course. Wasn't expecting that to happen,” said Strider, per Bowman. “But you've got to go back to what you were doing. To me, it's like an injury. It's like anything else. We still have the rest of spring and the 2026 season. That's where our focus is going to be.”
Braves fans will certainly hope that the team is indeed is able to fully focus on the upcoming season despite the major frustration of a second straight suspension for Profar, one of the team's prized free agency signings from two offseasons ago.
Making matters worse is that the Braves' pitching department has some major injury concerns, headlined by Spencer Schwellenbach, who will miss the opening chunk of the year after undergoing surgery. Strider and Sale also have injury histories in their own right.
In any case, the Braves will look to start the regular season off on the right track when they open things up against the Kansas City Royals at home later this month.
