When the Braves lost Jurickson Profar to an 80-game suspension at the end of their winless season-opening road trip, the assumption was Atlanta would struggle to replace both his bat and his leadership.
Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta this winter, a significant investment in a veteran presence expected to hold down the leadoff role and left field. But a failed test for the testosterone-boosting drug hCG will keep him sidelined for half of the 2025 season—and the team may not be in a rush to plug him back in.
Alex Verdugo has stepped into the leadoff role and immediately stabilized the lineup.