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What was the Accusation?
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar faced renewed scrutiny in March 2026 after Major League Baseball announced that he had tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, a performance-enhancing substance prohibited under MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Because it was Profar’s second violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug rules in less than a year, MLB imposed a 162-game suspension without pay. The penalty cost Profar his $15 million salary for the 2026 season and made him ineligible for both postseason play and the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where he had been preparing to represent the Netherlands.
The second violation was particularly significant because Profar had already served an 80-game suspension during the 2025 season. MLB announced on March 31, 2025, that he had tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which the league classified as a performance-enhancing substance. That suspension came just four games into Profar’s first season with Atlanta after he had signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves. Profar apologized to the organization, his teammates and fans while maintaining that he had not knowingly taken a prohibited substance. He emphasized that he had been drug tested throughout his career, including eight times during the previous season, and said he would never willingly take a banned substance. At the same time, he accepted responsibility and MLB’s decision.
Profar returned to the Braves on July 2, 2025, and played 80 games that season. His second positive test was announced the following March, when MLB reported that he had tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites. The Braves responded that they were “incredibly disappointed” and reiterated their support for MLB’s drug-testing program. Profar initially pursued an appeal through the Major League Baseball Players Association. On March 19, 2026, reports confirmed that the appeal process had been resolved and that Profar would serve the full 162-game suspension, eliminating any possibility that he would play for Atlanta during the 2026 regular season or postseason.
The second violation also changed the context in which Profar’s earlier public apology was understood. His 2025 statement had combined an explicit apology and acceptance of responsibility with a denial that he had knowingly cheated. The subsequent positive test did not establish that Profar had intentionally used a banned substance in 2025, but it subjected his earlier claims to renewed public scrutiny. The 2026 suspension also created an immediate roster problem for Atlanta, which had expected Profar to serve as a significant part of its lineup, primarily as a designated hitter, before losing him for the entire season.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Denial, Mortification, Bolstering
Video
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Transcript
Jurickson Profar’s Statement Following His First PED Suspension (March 31, 2025):
Braves fans,
Today is the most difficult day of my baseball career. I am devastated to announce that I have been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball and the Commissioner’s Office, for testing positive for a banned substance this offseason. This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game. There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite.
I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it. I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.
I am devastated that I won’t be on the field with my teammates for the next 80 games. I look forward to competing again at the highest level this season upon my return.
