Braves' Jurickson Profar gets 80-game PED ban, calls it 'most difficult day' of his career

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 80 games without pay for performance-enhancing drug use.

Major League Baseball announced Monday that Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in violation of the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hCG is a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone.

The suspension of Profar is effective immediately. Barring postponed games, Profar would be eligible to return June 29 against Philadelphia and would lose $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary. He is also ineligible for the postseason.

Profar called it the “most difficult day of my baseball career” and said he would never knowingly cheat.

“This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game,” he said in a statement. “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.”

The Braves arrived in Los Angeles after getting swept in their weekend series in San Diego. Profar was set to fly back to Atlanta on Monday night.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said he spoke to the club and to Profar earlier in the day, but he declined to disclose anything about their conversation.

“He hated it and we hate it for him,” Snitker said.

At the same time, Snitker said: “It’s an opportunity for somebody else to step in and do something really good.”

Profar's punishment is the second for the Braves. In April 2015, pitcher Andrew McKirahan was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

The team has been plagued by injuries in recent years, including losing four-time All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to a torn his right ACL last May for the second time in his career.

But Snitker expects his group to rally.

“They’ve been tasked with handling a lot of things the last few years, and they’re a really good group about doing it,” he said. “They’re going to keep fighting and working.”

The 32-year-old Profar was an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger last season when he batted .280 and set career highs with 24 homers and 85 RBIs for San Diego. He signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves in the offseason.

Profar is the fourth player who has been suspended this year for violating the performance-enhancing substance policy, with the others coming under the minor league program and the program for minor leaguers assigned outside the United States and Canada.

Two players were suspended last year under the major league drug program.

Noelvi Marté, a 22-year-old infielder who was considered Cincinnati’s top prospect, missed the first 80 games following a positive test for boldenone.

Toronto infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games on June 23 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut.

The Braves acquired outfielder Stuart Fairchild in a trade with Cincinnati on Monday for cash. The 29-year-old Fairchild hit .215 with eight homers and 30 RBIs with the Reds last year.

___

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in San Francisco contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb