Braves Report: Profar, no good

Here’s a question: Do we, as fans, still care about PED-related suspensions? Like, from a morality/sanctity of the game standpoint?

Or are you more upset with Jurickson Profar because he put the team in a tight spot?

Shoot me your thoughts and maybe I’ll include them in a future newsletter.

But in the meantime: Let’s get ready for another … eventful day of Braves baseball.

Quick links: Profar suspended | Spiral continues | Did Braves get duped? | Lopez to the IL

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

It’s April 1 and the Braves have not won a baseball game. Game 2 of their road series with the Dodgers is set for 10:10 p.m. Eastern.

📺 Where to watch: FanDuel Sports South/Southeast.

⚾ The starters: Chris Sale will look to shore things up for the Braves after a bumpy 2025 debut.

The Dodgers’ Dustin May will make his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

👀 Yikes, Freddie: Former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman missed Monday night’s game because, no joke, he slipped getting into the shower and hurt his surgically repaired right ankle.

BOWING OUT

Credit: Gregory Bull/AP

Credit: Gregory Bull/AP

OK, now the bad stuff. The news of Jurickson Profar’s 80-game suspension is about 20 hours old now, so we won’t belabor the background.

But let’s run through some basics:

🧪 The substance: Profar’s accused of testing positive for hCG, a natural hormone that’s sometimes used in fertility treatments. It can also increase testosterone and is sometimes used by athletes to offset the side effects of anabolic steroids.

🗣️ The statement: Profar said he accepted the league’s decision but would “never willingly take a banned substance.”

📆 The return: The suspension puts Profar on the bench until June 29 or so. Even after he returns, he won’t be eligible to play in the postseason.

FUN(?) FACT

Reliever Andrew McKirahan is the only other active Braves player to get suspended after testing positive for performance enhancers.

McKirahan made his Braves debut on April 12, 2015 — and got suspended eight days later.

SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Well … it’s an 0-5 team that just lost an outfielder and a starting pitcher for a while (more on the latter momentarily).

The vibes are in shambles.

🫠 Manager Brian Snitker on the clubhouse mood: “It’s not good. Would love to get a win. It’s not fun any time — start, middle, whatever — when you go through something like this. But you gotta handle it.”

And on the field?

The still-looming return of Ronald Acuña Jr. will help fill a lot of those holes — but if everyone else doesn’t start hitting soon, it might not matter much.

🫠 No Braves team that’s started 0-5 or worse has ever made the playoffs.

“I feel like once we get rolling, everything will get back on track,” Harris said. “I guess we’ve played two tough teams so far and seen some pretty good pitching, so I feel like we’ll turn it around here soon.”

THE OTHER BUMMER

We almost forgot! We got some depressing pitching news yesterday too!

Starter Reynaldo Lopez hit the injured list with shoulder inflammation and, as the AJC’s Gabe Burns explains, he’ll likely miss more than 15 days. Inflammation generally means shutting down for awhile, then having to ramp back up.

🤞 Bryce Elder is set to fill Lopez’s spot in the rotation Wednesday. His spring numbers: 4.97 ERA, 1.50 WHIP.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE

The Braves will host the All-Star game in July.

And during last week’s media day at Truist Park, MLB Senior Vice President of Special Events Jeremiah Yolkut told me fans can expect something akin to “a large theme park” at the nearby Cobb Galleria.

⭐ He explained further: “Fans will be able to not only play baseball and play softball on diamonds within the convention center … but they’ll also be able to see music, they’ll be able to try food — things that really connect to the game. See legends of the game, autograph sessions, speakers.”

Something for the baseball nerds to look forward to!

Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the AJC’s Sports Daily newsletter a shot, too.

Until next time.