Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire 2026 season after Major League Baseball confirmed a second violation of the league’s drug policy. The Braves now face a significant roster challenge following Profar’s suspension tied to a positive test for exogenous testosterone.
Atlanta entered the season expecting Profar to provide veteran production in the lineup and stability in the outfield. Instead, the MLB suspension removes him from the roster for all 162 games. Under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, a second violation automatically triggers a full-season ban.
MLB confirmed that Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites. The substance falls under the league’s list of banned performance-enhancing drugs, which carry escalating penalties for repeat offenders under the collective policy agreement.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale shared the official details Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, outlining the substance involved and the financial implications of the suspension.
“MLB announces that Atlanta OF Jurickson Profar has been suspended the entire season after testing positive for Exogenous Testosterone and its metabolites, a performance enhancing substance. The suspension begins Friday. He will not receive his $15 million salary”
The Profar suspension represents the second PED violation of his career. MLB previously suspended the outfielder for 80 games during the 2025 season after he tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a substance commonly linked to testosterone production.
Because of that earlier violation, the latest positive test triggers MLB’s maximum penalty for a second offense. The suspension sidelines the 33-year-old veteran for the entire 2026 regular season and also renders him ineligible for the postseason should the Braves qualify.
The Braves must now adjust their roster plans heading into Opening Day 2026. Losing an experienced outfielder removes a veteran bat from the lineup and increases pressure on the Braves’ depth options across the outfield.
For the organization, the development arrives at a critical moment. The Braves must quickly determine how to replace that production while maintaining their status among the National League’s top contenders.
