2025 Transactions: Jurickson Profar Suspended

The “DFA shuttle” continued on March 31, as two trades involving DFA’d players took place. However, the big news on the 31st involved the Braves, as outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the next 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance.

Profar suspended for 80 games

The Atlanta Braves lost their leadoff man, as Jurickson Profar was hit by an 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball. The league confirmed the news before Atlanta’s game against the Dodgers on March 31.

Profar was suspended for hCG, a supplement that can be used to boost testosterone levels. It can also be used as a masking agent for performancing-enhancing drugs.

The Braves outfielder, who signed with the team in January, posted career-bests in home runs (24) and OPS (.839 OPS) last season with the Padres. His hard-hit metrics were also considerably up.

Profar hit just .200 across the Braves’ four games in San Diego and was in the leadoff spot in all four games. The switch-hitter, who’s been adept at getting on base throughout his career, was expected to hold that spot until Ronald Acuna Jr. returns from knee surgery rehab.

Other moves

Here’s a look at other notable transactions made on March 31:

Canario traded to Pirates

The Mets, who acquired Alexander Canario in March, traded the power-hitting outfielder to the Pirates on March 31. Canario was DFA’d by the Mets last week and was out of options.

Canario, as noted in March, is a plus-plus power hitter with a below-average hit tool. He possesses a very lengthy swing and struggled badly against fastballs at the MLB level.

Eder traded to Angels

The White Sox traded left-hander Jake Eder to the Angels on March 31. Eder has one option left but since the White Sox originally optioned him in March, the Angels can send him down to Triple-A. Chicago (AL) DFA’d Eder to clear space on their 40-man roster.

Eder was a fourth-round pick by the Marlins in 2020 and excelled a year later in Double-A. He struck out 99 over 71.1 IP and looked like a rotation piece at the least. However, Tommy John surgery shut him down for all of 2022 and some of 2023 and he hasn’t gotten on track since.

The lefty owns a low-to-mid-90s fastball, along with a cutter, changeup, and curveball. Walks have been a problem, as Eder sent 27 to first base via the walk over 34.2 IP last season between Double-A and Triple-A.