Fernando Tatis Jr. and his dad catch strays from ex-Yankees catcher after Jurickson Profar's PED suspension

Jurickson Profar's 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball has again ignited the controversy of performance-enhancing drugs usage. Profar tested positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), a banned substance, which violated the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program.

MLB has several names with an asterisk beside their names because they used PEDs. However, the question remains if the suspension is enough. Former Yankees catcher Erik Kratz doesn't think so.

Kratz wants a more severe punishment, like stripping away awards from those players who tested positive for usage of banned substances.

"They should start hitting you where it hurts," Kratz said Tuesday on "Foul Territory." "All that stuff—your awards should be stripped away. Why, all of a sudden, do we just let this slide under the rug?

"Jurickson Profar is still going to get his money. Minus 80 games, he still gets his contract. There’s more to it than just affecting the game, the outcome, and the Braves now—because he led them astray, saying, 'Oh, this was actually me. I just changed my lower half.'"

The former New York Yankees player, while going on a rant against Profar, also namedropped San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. and his dad, Fernando Tatis Sr. Kratz hinted that Profar's PED use could be because he took help from his former Padres teammate.

"You went and worked on your lower half with Fernando Tatis and his dad," Kratz added. "Just come out and be honest. Let everybody be honest about what happened, because everybody who has ever tested positive comes out and says what it is. And if you don’t want to say it, to me, that assumes more guilt."

Tatis Jr. was suspended for PED use in 2022, serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Clostebol. His father, former MLB player Fernando Tatis Sr., defended his son at the time, claiming that it was caused by a medication.

MLB journalist connects dots tying Jurickson Profar to Fernando Tatis Jr. and his dad after PED suspension

Earlier in the offseason, Jurickson Profar signed a $42 million deal, worth three years with the Atlanta Braves. This comes after Profar had a career year in 2024, where he hit 24 home runs and 85 RBIs and made the All-Star team.

According to The Athletic's David O’Brien, the Braves neglected potential red flags about Profar's PED use as they cited his workouts with Fernando Tatis Jr. and his dad during the winter.

“Some red flags were raised around baseball, albeit whispers rather than public accusations, after Profar had a career-best season for the San Diego Padres in 2024,” O’Brien wrote.

“But the Braves attributed his power and overall offensive gains to adjustments Profar made with his lower body in his batting stance, after working out with Fernando Tatis Jr. and his dad the previous winter.”

Jurickson Profar's career year and subsequent PED use don't bode well for the Braves star as things continue to unravel for the team without a win this season.