• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Atlanta Sports Today

Atlanta Sports Today

Atlanta Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Falcons
  • Braves
  • Basketball
    • Dream
    • Hawks
  • Soccer
    • United 2
    • United FC
  • Colleges
    • Georgia State
    • Georgia Tech
    • Mercer
    • University of Georgia

Braves’ Options To Replace Jurickson Profar in the Outfield

April 2, 2025 by Last Word On Baseball

Jarred Kelenic is one of several options the Braves have to replace Jurickson Profar in left field.

As if the first week of the 2025 season couldn’t get any worse for the Atlanta Braves, the news broke Monday that left fielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance called chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). He won’t be eligible to return to action until late June. Additionally, he is ineligible to play in the postseason should the Braves reach it.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is being suspended for 80 games for violating MLB’s PED policy, sources confirm to ESPN. First with the news was @mikedeportes.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 31, 2025

The crushing news leaves a massive hole in the Braves’ lineup. Profar, Atlanta’s only major offseason acquisition, was brought in on a three-year, $42 million deal to provide a key bat and veteran presence. With superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. still on the mend, Profar batted leadoff in all four games of the opening series against the San Diego Padres.

Replacing a player of Profar’s caliber is no small task. However, the Braves possess solid outfield depth at the moment. Let’s examine some of the options to cover left field for the next few months.

Braves Have Several Options to Replace Jurickson Profar in Left Field

Jarred Kelenic

Kelenic is the obvious choice to cover left field in Profar’s stead. He is the next most talented outfielder on Atlanta’s roster and started 75 games in left a year ago. The former Seattle Mariner has started the first five games of the season in right field, but is more than capable of sliding over to the other corner outfield spot.

Kelenic’s days as a top prospect are long gone, but he still has time to figure it out. His pro career has been a disappointment (career slash line of .212/.283/.379), but he is still only 25 years old with solid power, speed, and defense. He was likely to be phased out of the starting lineup upon Acuña’s return, but now will have another extended opportunity to start as the Braves’ left fielder. This may be his last chance to prove he can stick as a starting-caliber big leaguer.

Bryan De La Cruz

De La Cruz was more or less an afterthought after signing a one-year deal in December. However, he may now play a bigger role in the Braves’ season than anyone expected. He started the year on the weak side of a right field platoon with Kelenic, but has received limited at-bats so far with the Braves facing five righties to begin the campaign.

De La Cruz is a career .252 hitter, spending most of his career so far with the Miami Marlins. He has played left field in over half of his MLB games. While certainly not an inspiring option, he has the experience and past success to merit a more extended look given the circumstances.

Alex Verdugo

Verdugo was signed for depth in March following a poor 2024 season with the New York Yankees. Like Kelenic, he is a former top prospect who has been somewhat disappointing in the big leagues relative to his pedigree. That said, he has the most big league success of anyone on this list, including several good years with the Boston Red Sox.

Verdugo is currently ramping up at Triple-A Gwinnett and could be called up any day. After that, he should get plenty of playing time with both starting corner outfielders out. If he can prove his Yankees tenure was a fluke, he could go down as an excellent signing.

Eli White

White has been a seldom-used utility option in Atlanta for several years. The former Clemson Tiger offers above-average speed and defense, but has a career OPS+ of 58. He has struck out in his only at-bat of the year so far. White is another right-handed option should De La Cruz struggle, but will likely remain a bench piece barring further catastrophe.

Stuart Fairchild

Likely seeing the writing on the wall with Profar, the Braves acquired Fairchild from Cincinnati for cash considerations on Monday. He provides borderline elite OAA and sprint speed, but his career stats at the plate are truly ugly. Ultimately, Fairchild is unlikely to be anything more than a bench piece. But the depth is more valuable to have than ever.

 

Photo Credit: © David Frerker-Imagn Images

The post Braves’ Options To Replace Jurickson Profar in the Outfield appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.

Filed Under: Braves

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Braves Minor League Recap: Ronald Acuna Jr. returns with a bang
  • Atlanta Braves Minor League Preview – 5/14
  • Alex Verdugo is as advertised
  • Ronald Acuña Jr. will join Triple-A Gwinnett for rehab, per report
  • Can Braves get over .500 as Bryce Elder takes on Nationals?

Categories

  • Basketball
    • Hawks
  • Braves
  • Colleges
    • Georgia State
    • Georgia Tech
    • Mercer
    • University of Georgia
  • Falcons
  • Soccer
    • United 2
    • United FC
  • Uncategorized

Archives

Our Partners


All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • 92-9 The Game WZGC
  • Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • ATL All Day
  • Bleacher Report
  • OurSports Central
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • The Spun
  • USA Today

Baseball

  • MLB.com
  • Last Word On Baseball
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Talking Chop
  • Tomahawk Take

Basketball

  • NBA.com
  • Amico Hoops
  • Basketball Insiders
  • High Post Hoops
  • Hoops Hype
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball
  • Peachtree Hoops
  • Pro Basketball Talk
  • Real GM
  • Soaring Down South

Football

  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Blogging Dirty
  • Falcons Gab
  • Falcons Wire
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Focus
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Football Talk
  • The Falcoholic
  • Total Falcons

Soccer

  • Dirty South Soccer
  • Last Word on Soccer
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • Athens Banner-Herald
  • Busting Brackets
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Dawg Sports
  • Dawn Of The Dawg
  • Forgotten 5
  • From The Rumble Seat
  • Saturday Blitz
  • Southbound And Down
  • The Red & Black
  • The Signal
  • The Technique
  • Yellow Jacked Up
  • Zags Blog

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in