The big MLB news yesterday centered on drug suspensions, as two NL Easy players were reportedly linked to PEDs. The Phillies’ Johan Rojas was in the second case of the day, but the first was far more prominent: the Braves’ Jurickson Profar.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the exact same thing happened to Profar last spring during the first season of his three-year deal with Atlanta. That was an 80-game ban, but this is a full-season penalty. Although Profar is appealing, it sure seems likely
that his Braves career is going to go down in the books of infamy — if not only for its darkly comedic nature. How much is he actually going to end up playing with Atlanta on this contract anyway? Also, Profar was about half an hour away from leading off a Netherlands WBC exhibition game against the Orioles when the news dropped. Naturally, his hasty replacement (Ray-Patrick Didder) clubbed a leadoff homer. Oh, baseball.
So Profar’s suspension got us thinking about past PED cases in MLB history. Obviously this one doesn’t apply because Profar was just penalized last year, but which player was involved in MLB’s most surprising PED controversy from the past? You can go back as far as you’d like, whether a suspension policy was in play or not. Alex Rodriguez’s first scandal could apply, though the second with Biogenesis, which banged his 2014 season, was less of a shock (though more salacious). Maybe you were taken aback by Robinson Canó’s suspensions that derailed his possible Hall of Fame track. Andy Pettitte’s HGH ties currently qualify under the “bummer” category. If you’re just looking at body type, it is still odd to consider that string bean Dee Strange-Gordon got a suspension in 2016.
I think my gut answer would be one of the first players suspended for PEDs, Rafael Palmeiro. The policy was new in 2005 and Palmeiro emphatically testified before Congress amid its overall MLB investigation. He wagged his finger and insisted that he never used. Impressionable teenager that I was, I believed him, especially because it’s not as though accuser José Canseco seemed 100-percent reliable. So I cheered when Raffy joined the 3,000 Hit Club that July for Baltimore. Since he also had 500 homers, he was a lock for Cooperstown … until he got hit with a PED suspension less than a month later. Holy moly, that was a time. He denied it furiously (still does to this day), implicated a teammate, wore earplugs once after returning from suspension because Toronto was booing him so loudly, and saw his 20-year career end with a whimper with the O’s sending him home by September. Yeesh.
So that’s my answer. What’s yours?
Today on the site, Matt will continue our World Baseball Classic preview* by diving into Pool C, which is led by Shohei Ohtani’s defending champion Japan. Jonathan will consider the context of Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s big contract request with a comparison discussion, Sam will preview Clarke Schmidt’s comeback effort from July 2025 Tommy John surgery, Estevão will celebrate the birthday of a long-ago Bay Area baseball star who wore the pinstripes before Joe DiMaggio, and after the spring training game, John will mull over the division rival Rays and if they have any more surprises in store for 2026.
*By the way, the WBC formally begins tonight! Pool C will kick it off from Tokyo, where Australia and Chinese Taipei will square off at 10pm ET (it’s noon local on March 5th).
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Video: ESPN
Venue: JetBlue Park, Fort Myers, FL
