The Atlanta Braves paid Jurickson Profar big money in January to be as good as he was in 2024. But there is good reason to believe he won’t be able to mirror those numbers after being popped for using performance enhancers this week.
This was a very underwhelming offseason for the Braves. After a seventh straight trip to the postseason last fall, the organization looked to cut costs after a franchise-record $238 million payroll in 2024. They let both Max Fried and Charle Morton walk in MLB free agency and traded Jorge Soler.
The hope is that with top stars Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. back in the fold after suffering season-ending injuries, they would be better but for less money. However, they did make one notable move before the season when they signed 12-year veteran Jurickson Profar to a three-year contract worth $42 million.
The move received praise because they landed the 32-year-old following a career year. Last season made it seem like the former stud Texas Rangers’ prospect had finally turned a corner. Becoming a legit star in the league. Then the bottom fell out yesterday. The Braves announced Profar would miss the next 80 games after being suspended for the use of performance enhancers. Specifically chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
So what is hCG, and why is it a reason for the Braves to be concerned that Profar will never live up to his $42 million contract?
Atlanta Braves will likely never get their money’s worth in Jurickson Profar contract
For most of his career, Profar was an average player at the plate. His defense and versatility gave him value. However, in 2024, he took some big leaps forward in his stats in the major hitting categories (average, slugging on-base, etc.). Following his suspension, it sure seems like his breakout season may have been boosted by the use of PEDs.
Braves fans will be hoping that his big season was based on his natural abilities. However, chorionic gonadotropin is used to bolster a man’s testosterone levels. Essentially, it offers a more natural steroid that makes an athlete a better version of their current self.
“Some male athletes use pharmaceutical preparations of hCG to stimulate testosterone production before competition. And/or to prevent testicular shutdown and atrophy during and after prolonged courses of androgen administration (British Journal of Sports Medicine).”
Jurickson Profar stats (2024): .280 AVG, .380 OBP, .459 SLG, .839 OPS, 24 HR, 85 RBI, 94 R
It can also be used as a way to improve testosterone levels after the use of anabolic steroids.
“Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is used to restore gonadal function after use of anabolic hormones. These suppress gonadal function by inhibiting pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone. hCG stimulates steroid production in the gonads after the use of anabolic steroids.” This comes via a World Anti-Doping Agency review of hCG.
Suffice it to say, Profar either used hCG to boost his abilities this season, and possibly last year, or he used them to get back to normal testosterone levels after steroid use last season. Either way, it is looking unlikely he will be able to put up similar stats as he did in 2024 after his ban.
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