NORTH PORT, Fla. — Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar said Sunday he had surgery to repair a sports hernia.
The surgery took place in November, Profar said, and required six weeks of recovery.
“I was playing through it (during the season), but then when I started my offseason workouts I couldn’t hold (not doing) it any more,” Profar said.
Profar, one of the last position players to show up this week for spring training at CoolToday Park, played just 80 games in 2025 after signing a three-year, $42 million contract. He was popped in March for using a performance-enhancing drug and suspended 80 games after the season-opening series in San Diego.
In August, Profar hit .295, drove in 26 runs and belted nine homers, the type of numbers he was expected to put up after an All-Star season with the Padres in 2024. His offense in July and September were mediocre.
“It’s encouraging. I sit for a long time and it’s not easy to sit like that and then come back to play major league games,” Profar said of his August. “Everyone is up and running and you’re sitting, and then you have to come in to face good pitching. It’s not easy, and I did it.”
Profar said he opted not to have in-season surgery because, “I missed a lot of time, so I wanted to play through it and just play with my teammates. I felt like I couldn’t let them down.”
A 32-year-old from Curacao, Profar began his MLB career as an infielder with the Rangers and Athletics before moving to the outfield with the Padres. He strictly played left field for the Braves in 2025.
But Braves manager Walt Weiss said this week that there is a high probability Profar will be the team’s primary designated hitter at season’s outset.
“I think early on we’ll see Profar in that spot quite a bit,” Weiss said. “That’s not saying he’s a DH. (That spot is) gonna be very fluid.”
On Sunday, Profar did not seem keen on the idea of being the team’s full-time DH.
“I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said. “Let’s see. I’m here to help the team.”
The Braves in December signed veteran Mike Yastrzemski to add outfield depth. Eli White, who has appeared in 146 games for the club, is in Braves camp as well.
Weiss added Sunday: “I don’t think any player is raising their hand, unless they’re a full-time DH, to say, ‘Yeah, that’s what I wanna do.’ He’s a great teammate. We’ve had this conversation. And to be honest with you, (Braves president of baseball operations) Alex (Anthopoulos) even called him before he signed Yastrzemski to clear it. Alex operates that way. And everything’s been great.
“Profar’s a great teammate. He’s showed himself to be a leader on this team last year. Had some tough circumstances early on, came back an absolute pro and leader of this team. It shows that in the fact that he’s willing to (DH).”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
