Earlier this season, the Atlanta Braves received some disappointing news about one of their newest free-agent signings, outfielder Jurickson Profar. Profar, who was signed to a three-year, $42 million deal, was suspended for 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy.
In addition to his suspension, the veteran outfielder is not eligible for the postseason if Atlanta were to get in.
For a Braves team that was already awaiting the return of Ronald Acuna Jr., the last thing they needed was for Profar to get suspended.
Over the next several weeks, Atlanta tried out different solutions in the outfield to help alleviate Profar’s loss, starting Bryan De La Cruz and eventually calling up Alex Verdugo. There hasn’t been much to report on Profar since his suspension announcement.
However, on Friday, we found out that the veteran outfielder is getting close to coming back to the majors.
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the 32-year-old Profar will start playing minor league games on Tuesday. Bowman adds that if there are no rainouts, he could be eligible to return from his suspension on July 2.
Profar will begin playing Minor League games on Tuesday. If there aren’t any more rainouts, he’ll be eligible to return from his 80-game suspension on July 2
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 13, 2025
As you can imagine, Braves fans on social media weren’t enthusiastic about the idea of Profar returning to the club.
Before he was suspended on Mar. 31, the veteran outfielder was slashing .200/.250/.200 in four games. Profar wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire at the plate, and you have to wonder if he would be an upgrade over what Verdugo is giving you.
This season, Verdugo is hitting .247 at the plate with 11 RBI and an OPS of .613. This month, the left-handed hitter is struggling to put the bat on the ball, posting a .158 average heading into this weekend’s series against the Colorado Rockies.
If Verdugo doesn’t get it together at the plate, the Braves would have the perfect replacement with Profar, depending on how he looks in the minor leagues.
The veteran outfielder has started his Braves tenure on the wrong foot, but he has a chance to make up for it if and when he returns.