Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has put his team behind the eight ball for the second time in as many seasons, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Curaçaon tested positive yet again for performance enhancing drugs. Profar will sit out the entire 2026 season, including the playoffs, leaving the Braves scrambling to find outfield help with Opening Day only weeks away.
Once the top-ranked prospect in all of baseball, Profar has had a circuitous route to big league success, weathering multiple serious shoulder injuries as a youngster and bouncing between four different franchises before finally breaking out in 2024 with the San Diego Padres. The switch-hitter posted an outstanding .280/.380/.459 line across 668 trips to the plate, blasting 24 homers en route to an All-Star selection.
That fantastic showing earned Profar a three-year, $42 million pact from Atlanta who sought to shore up an outfield mix that was reeling from injuries to former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ineffectiveness from Michael Harris II. Instead, the Braves were treated to an 80-game PED suspension for Profar caused by a positive test in April. He did produce a solid .787 OPS in the 80 games he did play, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a rough season for the club.
How will Braves rebound from shocking Jurickson Profar suspension? Not the Phillies' concern.
Atlanta was surely hoping for a full and productive 2026 season for the 33-year-old, but will have those hopes dashed due to another colossal error in judgment. The team’s outfield mix now looks much less stable, with the injury-prone Acuña, up-and-down Harris and newcomer Mike Yastrzemski being the only viable options. If anything happens to any of those three, they’re in big trouble.
Philadelphia Phillies fans can’t help but laugh at the misfortune of their longtime division rivals, as the outfield free agent market is all but picked clean in the Braves’ hour of need. The best options left are role players like Jesse Winker and Tommy Pham, or broken-down former stars like bygone Braves icon Jason Heyward and former Phillie Andrew McCutchen.
Of that group McCutchen is coming off the best season, but the 39-year-old is limited to mostly designated hitter duties, and it has long been speculated that he’d rather hang up his spikes than finish his career outside of Pittsburgh. Suffice to say, the Braves are in a pickle. However, the team has a glimmer of hope, as their outfield quandary may allow them to address a different area of need.
The Braves were set to enter the 2026 season with a luxury tax payroll of just over $246 million, putting them a hair above the first tax threshold of $244 million. However, accounting for Profar’s suspension that number will drop down to roughly $232 million, giving them about $12 million worth of breathing room. That could come in handy since the team lost two key members of their starting rotation to injury earlier this winter.
Right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both went under the knife for elbow surgeries this offseason, and it’s unclear if or when they may return this season. That leaves ace Chris Sale to anchor the pitching staff alongside injury risks Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes and Reynaldo López.
The club could certainly benefit from the addition of another veteran starter or two, and this unexpected windfall could do just that. There aren’t any top-tier hurlers left on the open market at this point, but there are a handful of established arms that could provide quality innings. Zack Littell and Lucas Giolito are coming off solid years, while Patrick Corbin is more of a depth type.
The Braves may be able to use Profar’s suspension to pivot and add some pitching depth, but the fact of the matter is that the team was dealt a massive blow quite close to Opening Day. With few quality options left to be had, Atlanta likely won’t be able to replace All-Star level production on such short notice. That unfortunate news for the Braves is music to the ears of Phillies fans hoping for their club to take home a third consecutive division crown.