Profar Having Return to Braves' Lineup He Desperately Needed

Jurickson Profar has had a best-case-scenario return to the Atlanta Braves lineup after serving his 80-game suspension. In two games, he's 3-for-8 with two solo home runs. He helped contribute to an 8-3 win on Wednesday and was the entire offense in a 5-1 loss on Thursday.

"It's kinda nice to have that other switch hitter in the middle of the lineup and feel good when he's up there," manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday night.

It's nice for sure, but Profar being that strong of an addition to the lineup is a necessity more than a perk. Forget that the Braves just need more offense for a moment. It goes deeper in this case.

This was the type of return he had to have to avoid it being a total nightmare for him and the Braves. If he came back from serving a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and had a couple of rough games, it would only have thrown more fuel on the fire.

It was already a headache that he had been suspended in the first place. He's also the team's big free agent splash from the winter.

Critiques of how the Braves handled their offseason would return, too. In this scenario, Profar isn't hitting before or after he got suspended, he costs $42 million and he's the only player the team splurged on over the winter. That's a fun combo for them. Oh, and the team is having its worst season in a decade. Otherwise, all of this might not even matter. Winning solves or excuses a lot of problems, and they aren't winning.

Nothing is absorbed. It's all under the microscope.

For now, the Braves and Profar are dodging this specific bullet. He's hitting when much of the lineup isn't.

Spencer Schwellenbach going on the injured list with a fractured right elbow, the day of Profar's first game back, diverted some attention, too. The irony is that another problem almost helps.

Fans are now splitting their focus on wondering who will pitch on Saturday, along with why the Braves, outside of Profar, couldn't deliver offensively on Thursday. Both of those took attention away from the elephant in the room.

The usual problems - injuries and the inability to score runs - stayed the same core problems. Many will turn the other cheek regarding Profar for now. These distractions won't last forever, though. Everyone will eventually start to check back in.

If he falls into a slump, especially shortly after this, those home runs will be forgotten quickly. His suspension will be back at the forefront of the public consciousness. Profar said the fans have the right to boo him. They could oblige at some point if the hitting stops.

Narratives can change on a dime. The Braves have been dealing with that all season. One moment, they're starting to make a convincing case that they can get back into contention. The next moment, they've lost everyone again.

Whatever approach Profar is taking right now at the plate, stick to it. If he has a chip on his shoulder, feeling the need to prove something, don't lose it. It's keeping a glaring issue from haunting him and the team.

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