Jurickson Profar is considered a repeat offender. © APA / CHRIS GRAYTHEN

162 games suspended and $15 million lost

Baseball star Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games following another doping violation. The 33-year-old Atlanta Braves outfielder will miss the entire season, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced.

March 04, 2026

From: dpa

At the same time, Profar loses an annual salary of $15 million from his three-year contract worth a total of $42 million, which runs until 2027. He had tested positive for externally administered testosterone and its metabolites.

Because Profar is a repeat offender, the punishment was drastic. The Curaçao-born professional had already been suspended for 80 games without pay at the end of March 2025 for doping, losing half of his $12 million salary. At that time, the substance involved was the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which promotes the production of testosterone.

Jurickson Profar will not play a game for the Braves this season. © APA / CHRIS GRAYTHEN

Profar is the seventh player to be suspended for 162 matches for a second doping rule violation. Four players have already been sanctioned this year for positive tests.

Repeat offender Profar

The current lockdown comes into effect on Friday, according to the news agency. AP Profar will appeal. During his first suspension, Profar stated that he "would never knowingly take a banned substance." Meanwhile, the Braves said in a statement that they were "incredibly disappointed" by the positive test of the 2024 All-Star.