The Braves’ left field problem is impossible to miss after the Jurickson Profar situation blew a hole in the roster.
Profar, who was brought in just two winters ago after an All-Star season and a big payday, wound up missing more time than anyone in Atlanta expected. His latest setback was severe enough to wipe out his 2026 season entirely.
“Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote.
That absence forced the Braves to patch together left field all season, and the lack of answers was obvious. Mauricio Dubón, whose usual spot is shortstop, ended up spending much of the year in left because Atlanta simply did not have enough reliable options.
“While Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II are everyday outfielders, left field was a rotating spot. It was matchup-dependent, and the needs at shortstop played a role as well in who the options were,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.
With free agency approaching, Atlanta has choices to make. One name that has come up as a fit is Randy Arozarena, and SI’s Roman Janeiro laid out why the Braves should be interested in that direction.
“Left field is one of the team's biggest offseason needs, and Alex Anthopoulos has to decide whether to prioritize a player who brings speed and baserunning value instead of simply chasing the most accomplished bat available. The Braves need someone who reaches base consistently, steals bases and runs aggressively, complementing Matt Olson, Austin Riley and the rest of the established lineup.
Speed alone isn't a solution, however, and power still matters. On-base percentage is king, and one name that has been brought up in Braves circles actually fits: Randy Arozarena.
Not only does he bring a high-impact bat, but he also ranked ninth in MLB in on-base percentage in 2026 and has a chaotic, impactful style on the basepaths. He creates runs by taking the extra base or forcing hurried throws from defenders in late-game situations,” Janeiro wrote.
Arozarena would bring more than just athleticism to the table. He also has 144 career home runs and the kind of all-around profile that could make him a regular answer in left field if Atlanta decides to go that route.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Will Instantly Recognize This World Series Parallel
A late-inning jolt from a rookie can feel like the kind of moment that shifts a World Series, especially when it comes in the 12th and puts his team ahead in dramatic fashion. Cooper Pratt delivered exactly that kind of swing, and for Braves fans, the scene probably felt uncomfortably familiar right away. The energy, the timing and the sense that a postseason game had just turned were all there, along with the uneasy memory of how quickly a championship script can change.
Milwaukee got the kind of lift that usually becomes a postseason legend, only for the Tampa Bay Rays to answer in the bottom half and flip the night back the other way. It is the sort of sequence Atlanta followers know too well from a recent October heartbreak, when a huge swing seemed to set one path in motion before the other dug in and changed the outcome. For Braves fans, the parallel is hard to miss, and it leaves plenty of room to wonder whether this latest version ends the same way or breaks the pattern instead. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Face A Tough Jurickson Profar Decision
Jurickson Profar is back on a field again, but his return comes with more uncertainty than clarity for the Braves. The outfielder recently played for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League, his first game action since receiving a 162-game suspension for a second PED violation that cost him the 2026 season, and Atlanta is now sorting through what comes next as it tries to map out the roster and the clubhouse.
Alex Anthopoulos has said the organization plans to have internal discussions about Profars future, which puts the Braves in an awkward spot after a season lost to suspension. Ronald Acua Jr. has also said Profar distanced himself from the team after the ban, adding another layer to a situation that is still very much unresolved as Atlanta weighs how to handle one of its more complicated offseason questions. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Face Tough Price Decision On Two Key Free Agents
Jim Bowdens free-agent projections put the Braves in a familiar winter spot, trying to weigh fit against price on two players who matter in very different ways. Mauricio Dubon brings the kind of defensive versatility teams value when the market gets thin, and the Athletic piece suggests there may not be much competition at shortstop if clubs start circling. For Atlanta, that can turn a reasonable ask into a tougher one, especially if other teams decide they need a glove-first option who can move around the diamond.
Raisel Iglesias is the more straightforward name, but not necessarily the easier call. Bowden projected the veteran closer at one year and $17 million after another All-Star-level season, yet the Braves may pause before going that high with a reliever on the roster already and some age-related caution attached to the deal. It leaves Atlanta staring at two free agents who could help right away, while also forcing a decision on how much certainty they want to buy this offseason. [Read more 🡒]