Braves Profar Set to Begin Rehab Assignment as Suspension Nears End

The Atlanta Braves announced Tuesday afternoon that outfielder Jurickson Profar will start his rehab assignment. He will start the same day with Triple-A building to see game action when he returns from his 80-game suspension on July 2.

Initially, he was eligible to return June 29, but some weather-delayed games have pushed that back. It's 80 games, not 80s days, as manager Brian Snitker put it last week. If any other games are pushed back, this return date will continue to move back too.

Last week, Snitker said he expected Profar to be able to play a full nine-inning game when he arrives. He will have had a couple weeks of reps by that point.

Profarwas suspended at the end of March following a positive test for performance enhancing drugs (also commonly referred to as PEDs). He tested positive for using Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone.

According to the Associated Press, he lost $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary and remained ineligible for the postseason. Even when he is back and assuming he plays well, the Braves could be back right where they are now in October - also assuming they get there - unless they make a move at the deadline.

Profar played in four games before he got suspended. He went 3-for-15 with a walk during that time. He batted .250 with a .775 OPS in Spring Training. Those numbers don't say much, either because it was Spring Training or the virtually zero sample size in the regular season. We'll have to wait and see how he does post-suspension.

There's no way to tell. Most will expect him to take a step back because he was reliant on a substance last season. However, if the addition of the leg kick had any validity, maybe it will help him be effective. Before his All-Star season last year with the San Diego Padres, he was a career .238 hitter with a .706 OPS. with 87 career home runs and 359 RBIs.

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