Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar suffered what the club described as a jammed left wrist during today’s Grapefruit League game with the Pirates. Profar suffered the injury while trying to make a diving catch of a line drive in the fourth inning, and the outfielder was in obvious discomfort in the aftermath of the play.
X-rays were negative on Profar’s wrist, and Braves team trainer George Poulis told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) that there is hope that Profar has avoided any more serious injury. The final diagnosis won’t be known for certain, however, until Profar undergoes an MRI to check for structural damage.
Profar was the Braves’ biggest offseason acquisition, as his huge 2024 season with the Padres resulted in a three-year, $42MM free agent deal from Atlanta. Profar has been rather notoriously inconsistent during his MLB career, but he delivered his best numbers at age 31 and in his 11th season in the Show. Signed to just a $1MM guaranteed last winter, Profar exploded for 24 home runs and a .280/.380/.459 slash line over 668 plate appearances with the Padres, earning All-Star and Silver Slugger recognition.
Since Ronald Acuna Jr. will miss some time at the start of the season recovering from his torn ACL, signing Profar was a logical way for the Braves to bolster their outfield ranks. The plan was to have Profar and Michael Harris II play every day in left and center field, with Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz platooning in right field until Acuna is healthy, though if Profar now has to miss any time, Kelenic and De La Cruz could be bumped up to regular status in the corner outfield slots. Eli White could get more playing time in this scenario, and non-roster invitees Jake Marisnick or Conner Capel might have a path to the Opening Day roster if Profar winds up on the injured list.
Losing Profar to the IL would be another blow to Atlanta’s everyday lineup. Beyond Acuna still being on the mend, Sean Murphy broke a rib after hit by a pitch last week, leaving the starting catcher out of action for the next 4-6 weeks. Top catching prospect Drake Baldwin is available as Murphy’s likely fill-in, but filling a hole in the outfield is trickier since the Braves were already lacking depth on the grass with Acuna out.
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