The Atlanta Braves essentially saved their offseason (and the blood pressure of their fans) when they were able to sign Jurickson Profar. While other areas of the roster didn't get addressed the way many fans hoped, adding an impact outfield bat that could help fill the void while Ronald Acuna Jr. is out was a must.
In a lot of ways, Profar was the perfect fit especially when you factor in his very reasonable deal at three years and $42 million. He can slot in at multiple spots in the lineup, hits for power, and is a switch-hitter which makes opposing team's bullpen plans problematic. On top of that, he has the same sort of swagger and energy that a lot of this Braves team has that has helped them become one of the best teams in baseball.
Unfortunately, the start of Profar's tenure with Atlanta is not off to the best start. After scuffling lately in spring training. Profar was forced to leave the Braves' spring training game against the Pirates with what appears to be a wrist injury.
OF Jurickson Profar was removed from today’s game with a jammed left wrist. Initial X-rays were negative, and he is set to undergo further testing at a time yet to be determined.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 8, 2025
Jurickson Profar leaves Braves' game early after injuring arm following diving play in outfield
We are light on details here as this is spring training, so we don't have media members and high definition cameras installed everywhere. Profar's injury could be anything from he just got jammed up on the ground and everyone is being cautious to, well, much worse outcomes. The only thing we know for certain is that the injury was serious enough to pull him from the game.
Profar landed on his left arm awkwardly after attempting to make a diving catch. He's walking off the field pointing toward the forearm area. Will update when we learn more.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 8, 2025
Assuming the issue is minor, the Braves would be able to weather a short-term loss of Profar without too much difficulty. Both Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz are playing pretty well down at camp and could cover both corner outfield spots in a pinch. It isn't an ideal situation, hence why the Braves signed Profar in the first place, but it is on the table and not world-ending if it needs to happen for a few spring games.
Where things COULD get tricky is if Profar's injury is serious enough where he misses a lot of time in the regular season. The first month of the Braves' season is particularly brutal and Acuna Jr. is not likely to be available to play until at least May. Without their marquee offseason addition, the pressure is going to be on the rest of the Braves' offense to perform against some really good teams until they can become whole again.