Braves’ Surprise X-Factor? Profar Dominates in Rehab Debut!

Jurickson Profar made an impressive return to the field Wednesday night, leading off for Triple-A Gwinnett and going 2-for-3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly RBI. It was a strong start to his rehab assignment as he works toward rejoining the Atlanta Braves following his suspension.

His success at the top of the lineup is encouraging, especially considering manager Brian Snitker’s intentions. Snitker indicated Wednesday that he’s considering slotting Profar into the No. 2 spot behind Ronald Acuña Jr. when he returns. Profar is also expected to reclaim his usual spot in left field — a position that’s remained unsettled all season. Since he was originally signed to fill that role, there should be little resistance to him stepping right back in.

There’s still time for the Braves to finalize their plan. This was just Profar’s first game of several expected in the coming weeks. He can’t officially be activated until July 2, once his 80-game suspension is fully served.

Profar was suspended at the end of March after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), which aids in testosterone production. According to the Associated Press, the suspension cost him $5.8 million of his $12 million salary and disqualified him from postseason play. While he was originally projected to return on June 29, a few delayed games have pushed that date back.

So far, things are trending in the right direction. But Profar will need to continue producing to quiet the critics who question whether his previous All-Star performance was PED-driven. Solid numbers in Triple-A will help, but the real test will come when he faces big league pitching again.