Just four games into the 2025 season, the Atlanta Braves received news that their lone major offseason addition, outfielder Jurickson Profar, would face an 80-game suspension after testing positive for PEDs. It's been a largely nightmarish two-plus months since for the team, but on Wednesday, Atlanta finally returned Profar to the big-league roster and designated outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment.
There is no doubt that Profar had to feel some added pressure stepping into the batter's box on Wednesday. Although his first couple of at-bats didn't go as planned, he flipped the script in the sixth inning and helped ignite a big inning for Atlanta.
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Profar returns in a big way for Atlanta Braves
In his first at-bat of the night, Profar had a golden opportunity to put the fans on his side. (After all, following a PED suspension, he isn't the most well-loved player in the league, and he heard a smattering of boos on walking to the plate.)
Profar stepped up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning with the Braves already down 2-0. He didn't put up much of a fight, going down on strikes after just a four-pitch at-bat. Profar followed this up with a fly out to left with two men on in the bottom half of the third inning.
After just two at-bats, the entire Braves fan base was already wanting Verdugo back in his place. But in the bottom of the sixth, all of that changed. Atlanta was still trailing by two when Profar singled with two outs and no one on. While this doesn't sound too impressive, it ignited the Braves offense.
Ozzie Albies followed Profar's hit with a single of his own, and catcher Sean Murphy blasted a go-ahead three-run homer. The inning was far from over: Atlanta kept stringing together quality at-bats, and slugger Matt Olson added the exclamation point later in the frame with a grand slam. The Braves scored a total of seven runs with two outs.
Profar decided to give the crowd an encore the very next inning and proved that he still has some pop in his bat. He blasted a 413-foot homer to right field and finished the game with a 2-for-4 performance.
Jurickson Profar, one inning after starting the seven run rally with a two-out single, gets an 0-2 changeup and just LAUNCHES it - 105.1 off the bat and 413 feet.
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) July 3, 2025
Yeah, I'm thinking he's back pic.twitter.com/BHjPmp1dHc
Of course, Atlanta still has a ton of work to do to be in contention for a playoff bid. But Profar seems to be exactly what this offense has been missing, and could be the X-factor that leads them to a miraculous come ba