Jorickson PROFAR receives a suspension of 80 PED games

Major League Baseball has announced that the Braves outfall PROFAR JRICKSON Was suspended for 80 games after being tested positive for a drug improving performance. Journalist Mike Rodriguez first relayed that Profar had to get a suspension due to a positive test. Jeff Passan d’Espn confirmed that it would be a PED suspension. PROFAR will be able to return during the season, but will not be eligible for the playoffs this year, as it is true for all the players of the year, they serve a PED suspension.

MLB announced the suspension with the following declaration: “The office of the baseball commissioner announced today that the voltiseur of the Braves of Atlanta, Jurickson Plus, received a suspension of 80 games without remuneration after being tested positive for the chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), a substance improving the performance, in violation of the breeding of the major baseball league, drug prevention and medication treatment.

The team also published a statement: “We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jorickson Profar was tested positive for a substance improving the performance in violation of the prevention and joint treatment program of the Baseball League. We fully support the program and hope that Jorickson will learn from this experience.”

Profar himself has also published a statement through the MLBPA: “Fans of Braves, today, is the most difficult day of my baseball career. I am devastated to announce that I was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball and the commissioner’s office, for having tested positive for a prohibited substance this provisional. The teammates are a favorite of fans. Teammates for the next 80 games. I can’t wait to materialize at the highest level this season on my return. »»

The news will immediately shed new light on the Profar escape campaign in 2024. A former best hope, his big league career had been quite inconsistent. His discipline on the plates had always been good, with rate of withdrawal and walking above average for most of his career, but generally with a lack of impact. At the end of the 2023 season, he appeared in 961 Big League Mames and was seated on a combat line .238 / .322 / .383. This production resulted in a 92 WRC +, indicating that it was 8% worse than the average of the league overall.

His stock had fallen far enough for him to be satisfied with an agreement of $ 1 million with the Padres in 2024, barely above the minimum wage of $ 740,000 last year. He continued to have the best season in his career at the age of 31. He struck 24 circuits for the brothers while drawing walks of a clip of 11.4% and withdrawing only 15.1% of the time. His shot line .280 / .380 /.459 translated by a 139 WRC +, easily the best of his career. Compared to 2023, its average output speed increased from 86.5 miles per hour to 91.1. Its hard success rate increased from 31.8% to 44.4%. In general, almost everything on its Statcast page has become redest.

This made him a much warmer product during the previous off -season. He aroused the interest of clubs such as the food, the Royals, the Blue Jays and the Astros before signing an agreement of $ 42 million over three years with Atlanta in January. This news will naturally lead the world of baseball to reassess this season of small groups this season.

Presumably, Atlanta had no idea of ​​the profare test when they signed it or they would not have agreed. However, it will be a massive headache for them and will look like a big waste of resources. The club adopted a very measured approach this winter, apparently working under specific financial constraints. They returned Jorge Soler And the rest of his contract with angels as soon as the off -season began. They then refused a reasonable club option on Travis d’Arnaud. They renegotiated the contracts of Reynaldo López And Aaron BummerIn both cases, a little money from 2025 to 2026.

With hindsight, it seems that the club tried to drop the pay at a specific level and to put itself under the competitive balance tax. According to Rosterresource, their CBT number is currently about $ 234 million. This represents around $ 7 million in the basic threshold of 241 million dollars this year, leaving them a little room for maneuver to make movements in season and reset their tax status this year. Assuming that they follow this indeed, they could pass in 2026 as a “at first glance” payers, after having paid the tax in 2023 and 2024.

Around the frugal movements, Profar was their only big splash. They did not give another offer worth more than $ 1.5 million. The outside field was an obvious target area. The acquisition of last year of Kelenic in motion did not work because he struck .231 / .286 / .393 in his first season in Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr. torn his left ACL in May and missed the rest of the season. They made acquisitions of mid-season from Soler and Ramón Laureano But both were sent this winter for financial reasons. Soler was returned to the Angels for GRIFFIN CANNINGWith a preserves later undeastored. Laureano, who was scheduled for a salary of $ 6.1 million, was himself not tense.

Given all of this, it is obviously less than Ideal development. The club tried to browse a fine line all winter, pinching money while hoping that this was kept in a position to compete in 2025. In the middle of several subtractions, Profar was their most aggressive addition. Now he will be out of action for a long time and it is whoever guesses in what form he will be on his return. It will not be eligible for play in playoffs this year.

He will not be paid by serving his suspension, saving a little money at the club, but they have few options to redirect these funds now that the season has started. The team will now have to improvise a way to proceed. Harris is always a strong option in the center, but the corner options are not incredibly inspiring. Kelenic thinks to get a lot of playing time, although as mentioned, he had trouble last year and has a line .154 / .154 / .385 so far this year. Bryan de la Cruz And Eli White are also on the active list. Stuart FIRICHILD has been claimed from derogation today and will join the club shortly. Carlos Rodriguez is on 40 men but in faculty.

Over time, this image should improve. Alex Verdugo was signed just over a week ago. He has agreed to be optionized for the moment so that he could accelerate after missing training in the spring and join the club in the coming weeks. Acuña could potentially be restored from the injured list in May. PROFAR will eventually return from this suspension but will not be eligible for the playoffs. The players of other clubs could become available as the commercial deadline approaches.

Nevertheless, it is an intestinal control for a club which is already a little in shock. They lost their first four games, wandered by the former Profar club in San Diego. There is still a long season to come, but they were ready for a difficult battle in a crowded NL East. As mentioned, they tried to walk on a tightrope this winter by reducing expenses but still in competition. PROFAR was the jewel of this offseason, but The Shine was released very quickly.

Mike Lang graceful photo, Imagn Images.