Jurickson Profar suspension gives former NY Mets players chance to make Braves roster

How will the Atlanta Braves replace Jurickson Profar in the lineup? FanGraphs’ Roster Resource has an idea. Erasing Profar from the history of the 2026 MLB season, they’ve moved a former New York Mets player up the depth chart and into the DH spot.

It’s Dominic Smith who gets elevated from his minor league contract and into a starting DH role against right-handed pitchers. It’s not a given this is what the Braves will actually do. Roster Resource is just guessing at this point. And even if it’s not him who gets rewarded with a roster spot, there’s another ex-Mets player lighting it up in spring training, too.

Dominic Smith and Ben Gamel are two candidates to replace Jurickson Profar on the Braves roster

Atlanta could always reinvest the money they’ll save on Profar to add a bat. Many of their fans would probably prefer a starting pitcher, though. The available free agent hitters don’t move the needle enough. Atlanta will have guys coming back at some point so going internal might just be more sensible.

Smith is 3 for 6 in the early going this spring. Gamel if 4 for 11 but with 3 home runs. His ability to play the outfield makes him more desirable than Smith who won’t touch first base unless Matt Olson sits. He rarely does.

Neither ex-Mets player should be able to replicate Profar’s production. Smith hit .284 last year with the San Francisco Giants but only hit 5 home runs in 225 plate appearances. Gamel spent all of last season in the minors. Good enough for a fifth outfielder type of role, he has spent enough time in the big leagues to show where his limitations are.

By only a few days, the Braves missed out on what could have been a chance to sign Starling Marte who agreed to a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals recently. He would have absolutely been the ideal candidate to replace Profar. Instead, they may need to rely on Smith who could be a nice short-term answer but not someone who can serve enough of a purpose for the length of a season.