Jurickson Profar Receives 162-Game PED Suspension; Out for Full 2026 Season

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is being hit with a 162-game suspension for a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported March 3, 2026. Under MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, a second PED violation triggers a full-season ban. Profar will miss the entire 2026 regular season, forfeit his $15 million salary for the year, and is ineligible for the 2026 postseason and for the World Baseball Classic. A third positive test would result in a lifetime ban. Profar, who turned 33 in February, is in the second season of a three-year, $42 million contract he signed with the Braves in January 2025 after a career year with the San Diego Padres. His first PED suspension came early in the 2025 season—an 80-game ban that cost him roughly $6 million of his $12 million salary that year and made him ineligible for the playoffs. He returned in early July and homered in his first game back, but the second positive test now wipes out his entire 2026 campaign and leaves his career in serious doubt.

Why 162 games?

MLB's drug program sets 80 games for a first violation, 162 games (one full season) for a second, and permanent ineligibility for a third. Profar's 2025 suspension was the first; this latest positive triggers the full-season penalty. Similar cases include Robinson Canó (162 games in 2020 after an earlier 80-game suspension) and Marlon Byrd (162 games in 2016 for a second positive). Profar will not be paid for 2026 and cannot play in the upcoming World Baseball Classic; he had been on the Netherlands roster (Profar is from Curaçao).

Padres moved on; Braves left with a hole

The Padres chose not to re-sign Profar after his 2024 breakout (.280/.380/.459, 24 HR, 85 RBI, All-Star, Silver Slugger). That decision looks vindicated: Profar's first year in Atlanta was cut to 80 games by the initial suspension, and now the entire second year is lost. Last season he slashed .245/.353/.434 with 14 homers and 43 RBI in 80 games. The Braves were counting on a bounce-back in 2026 to help push them back into the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2025; instead they are without one of their veteran outfielders for the full season and free up $15 million in salary that could be used elsewhere (e.g. pitching or outfield depth). The Braves had already added Mike Yastrzemski in the offseason; MLB Trade Rumors notes that signing softens the blow for left field and DH.

What it means for AthX

Profar's AthX value is effectively zero for 2026 from a playing-time standpoint: he will not accumulate MLB stats or dividends during the suspension. Dynamic pricing reflects actual performance and availability; a full-season ban removes him from the board for the year. Traders who held or considered him must treat 2026 as a write-off and weigh whether a return in 2027 (final year of his contract) is plausible—and whether the Braves will keep him or eat the deal. Use suspension and roster news to build or adjust your portfolio; browse the marketplace to see Braves and all MLB player values on AthX. *Sources: MLB Trade Rumors – Jurickson Profar 162-game PED suspension; SI.com – Jurickson Profar suspended again, Padres right to move on; Newsweek – Braves' Profar faces season-long PED suspension. Fact-checked March 3, 2026.*