Jurickson Profar has signed with Tiburones de La Guaira for the 2026-27 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, giving the Atlanta Braves outfielder an opportunity to return to game action after missing the entire 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Lindsay Crosby reported the signing on X, noting that Profar will join the Venezuelan club for winter ball. Tiburones de La Guaira also announced Profar as one of its imported players ahead of the new campaign.
The move comes after a difficult two-year stretch for Profar, who received a full-season suspension in 2026 following a second violation of MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy. His winter league assignment gives him a chance to play again while questions remain about his future in Atlanta.
Profar’s suspension followed an earlier 80-game ban in 2025. After returning to Atlanta that July, he appeared in 80 games and hit .245 with 14 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .787 OPS. His 2026 suspension followed a second positive test for exogenous testosterone, according to MLB’s disciplinary announcement.
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The signing also comes as Atlanta weighs what to do with Profar’s contract. He signed a three-year, $42 million deal before the 2025 season, and 2027 is the final year. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said the club had not decided Profar’s future with the organization, according to Battery Power on Oct. 11.
Atlanta finished the 2026 regular season 94-68, winning the National League East before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series. Profar’s winter league assignment gives him a chance to play while the Braves consider their offseason roster decisions.
Tiburones de La Guaira confirmed Profar’s signing on Sept. 27, identifying the 33-year-old outfielder as one of its imports for the 2026-27 season. He will make his debut in Venezuela’s professional league, adding winter ball to his experience across 12 major league seasons.
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