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Atlanta Braves outfielder/designated hitter Jurickson Profar has failed a PED check for the second straight season and been suspended for 162 video games, MLB introduced Tuesday. He was additionally set to be on Group Netherlands within the World Baseball Traditional and is now ineligible for the occasion.
Profar examined optimistic for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, in response to the league. His suspension formally begins on March 6.
“We had been extremely disenchanted to study that Jurickson examined optimistic for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Therapy Program,” the Braves stated in a press release late Tuesday. “Our gamers are persistently educated about this system and the results if they’re discovered to be in violation. The Atlanta Braves totally assist this system.
The 2024 All-Star was additionally suspended final season for a violation of the MLB Joint Drug Settlement. This time round, he’ll miss the whole lot of the 2026 season. The primary offense carries an 80-game suspension, the second is 162 video games and the third is a everlasting ban.
Remember that suspended gamers aren’t eligible for the playoffs, so even when the Braves qualify for the postseason, Profar is out till 2027.
Profar, 33, had a profession 12 months in 2024 for the Padres. He hit .280/.380/.459 (134 OPS+) with 3.6 WAR and made his first All-Star workforce. He parlayed that right into a three-year, $42 million take care of the Braves, however PED suspensions come with out pay and he missed principally half of final season and can get nothing in 2026.
In his 80 video games final 12 months, Profar hit .245/.353/.434 (121 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 14 homers, 43 RBI and 56 runs, trying like he’d be an essential a part of the Braves’ 2026 lineup.
In actual fact, he was anticipated to hit cleanup whereas serving as Atlanta’s DH. The lack of Profar leaves the Braves scrambling. Till catcher Sean Murphy and infielder Ha-Seong Kim return from surgical procedure, one of the best DH choice on the big-league roster appears to be like like Eli White. Possibly a non-roster invite to camp like Dom Smith makes a mark. The accessible pool of free brokers is thinned to the purpose that attainable choices on the market are Rowdy Tellez, Justin Turner, Wilmer Flores, Tommy Pham and Jesse Winker. Andrew McCutchen can be on the market if he needs to stray from Pittsburgh.
The Braves might additionally wait till there are cuts from spring coaching or they may discover a commerce (individuals proceed to pine for Byron Buxton to return to Georgia, the place he was born and raised, although he has lengthy stated he is a Twin for all times).
The Braves entered March because the favorites to win the NL East, in response to some projections. FanGraphs had them successful the division by a recreation, Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA additionally had them by roughly one recreation. They had been +190 to win the NL East on DraftKings, even with the Phillies and trailing the +165 Mets, coming into Tuesday.
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