You can tell that this situation is getting to Weiss.
The Atlanta Braves are heading into the 2026 season with a long list of problems, and manager Walt Weiss just got hit with maybe the biggest one yet.
Outfielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for the entire 162-game season after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, marking his second failed PED test in two years with the club.
For Weiss, who took over as manager after Brian Snitker's retirement in November, the news was a gut punch.
Trying to Win Them Over
In an interview with Foul Territory, Weiss opened up about how much the situation stung, saying he was "very disappointed and frankly stunned" when the news broke.
"He was going to have to win us over, certainly win me over, and he did," Weiss said.
That is what makes this so frustrating for the first-year skipper, because Profar actually did the work to earn back trust after his first 80-game suspension in 2025.
When he came back in the second half of last season, Profar hit .245/.353/.434 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs across 80 games.
He became a respected voice in the clubhouse and a leader that teammates and coaches appreciated having around.
Then he threw it all away.
Injury After Injury After Injury
The timing could not be worse for Atlanta, which is already dealing with a brutal run of injuries heading into the new season.
Pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had elbow surgeries this spring that will keep them out for months.
Left-hander Joey Wentz tore his ACL in a spring training game and is done for the year.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim slipped on ice and tore a tendon in his finger back in January, and he is not expected back until May at the earliest.
Catcher Sean Murphy is still recovering from hip surgery as well.
The Braves went 76-86 in 2025 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017, so this was supposed to be a fresh start under Weiss.
Instead, he has spent his first spring training putting out fires left and right.
Why It Hurts So Much
Profar was expected to be in the heart of the lineup, likely hitting second behind Ronald Acuna Jr. and serving as the team's primary designated hitter with some time in left field.
Now that production is just gone, and the Braves are scrambling for answers with Opening Day on March 27 right around the corner.
The good news is that the signing of Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal this winter looks like a lifesaver now.
NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin could also see more time at DH while Murphy is out.
Weiss compared the situation to losing Acuna to a knee injury in 2021, when the Braves still went on to win the World Series.
"The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news," Weiss said.
It is a hopeful way to look at things, but nobody in that clubhouse would have chosen to be in this spot.
Profar will forfeit his $15 million salary for the year, and the Players Association has filed an appeal on his behalf, though overturning a second PED suspension would be extremely rare.
For Weiss, the focus now is on keeping his team locked in and moving forward, no matter how much this one stings.