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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games due to performance-enhancing drug use on Monday, and his former manager, Mike Shildt of the San Diego Padres, threw his support behind his former player when asked about the topic.
“I love Jurickson Profar no more or no less than I did an hour ago,” Mike Shildt said, via Annie Heibrunn of SDUT. He also said that he doesn't know the circumstances but “will love and support Jurickson.”
Profar first joined the Padres in the middle of the 2023 season, playing just 14 games after coming over from the Colorado Rockies. He stayed with the Padres for the 2024 season, when he had the best year of his career, slashing .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, while also posting 4.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs. That resulted in Profar signing a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves this offseason.
Now, the Braves will be missing arguably their biggest offseason addition for 80 games. Even though Profar is eligible to return later on this season, he is not eligible for the 2025 postseason, which is a big blow for the team.
It has not been an ideal start to the season for the Braves on the field as well. They lost all four games in San Diego against the Padres in the first series of the year, getting shutout in the final two games of that series. Then, they lost 6-1. in the first game of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is not a death blow by any means, and there is plenty of time to turn things around, but it has not been an ideal start for the Braves by any means. They have two more games against the Dodgers before returning home to play the Miami Marlins in the first home series of the year on Friday.
