By: Michael Spiers

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Oxford dictionary defines the word nightmare as “a frightening or unpleasant dream”, and “a person, thing, or situation that is very difficult to deal with”.

Major League Baseball’s opening day has come and gone and that definition fits the Atlanta Braves perfectly.

The Braves’ early season has already gone from bad to worse. The Braves got another gut punch when outfielder Jurickson Profar was hit with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

Hours later, they placed starting pitcher Reynaldo López on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Then, they lost 6-1 to the Dodgers, extending their winless start —Atlanta’s worst since 2016.

The Braves signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal in January, expecting him to be a key part of their offense after a breakout 2024 season with San Diego. Now, he’s out until late June and won’t be eligible for the postseason.

In a statement, Profar said he would “never knowingly take a banned substance” but accepted the suspension.

The Braves, clearly blindsided, said they were “surprised and extremely disappointed” but support MLB’s drug policy.

Profar’s absence leaves a big hole in an already struggling lineup. Atlanta made a quick move, acquiring outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Reds.

With Ronald Acuña Jr. still recovering from ACL surgery and likely out for another month, the Braves now have to lean on Bryan De La Cruz.

As if losing Profar wasn’t enough, the Braves also lost López to a shoulder injury. The right-hander struggled in his first start against the Padres, and after experiencing soreness in a bullpen session, the team decided to shut him down. Lopez will undergo surgery and will miss several months.

To fill his spot in the rotation, Atlanta called up Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett. Elder was an All-Star in 2023 but had a rough 2024 season, finishing with a 6.52 ERA.

If Elder struggles, the Braves may have to turn to top prospect Hurston Waldrep or another minor-league arm to stabilize their rotation.

To this point every game has followed the same frustrating script for Atlanta. The offense can’t solve opponents pitching.

The good news is that it’s still very early, but the Braves’ start has been a disaster. They were supposed to be World Series contenders, but instead, they’re dealing with a suspended star, an injured rotation, and an offense stuck in neutral.

General Manager Alex Anthopoulos is already facing tough questions. He signed Profar expecting his 2024 numbers to be legit, but now there’s doubt.

The Braves are on the hook for that $42 million, and if Profar can’t produce clean, this deal could turn into a disaster.

For now, Atlanta just needs to stop bleeding. Asked about how the team is handling everything, Austin Riley kept it simple: “We’ve just got to focus on today.”

Let’s hope that we can all wake up, pass our drug screens, and move on from this nightmare.