NEW YORK — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 80 games without pay for performance-enhancing drug use.
Major League Baseball announced Monday that Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in violation of the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program.
The suspension of Profar is effective immediately. He will be eligible to return June 29, barring any postponements.
Monday, March 31, 2025
In decision announced by Queensland Premier David Crisafulli on Tuesday, Brisbane‘s The Gabba stadium is now scheduled to be replaced by a new stadium located on the north side of the Brisbane River. The yet to be named stadium is due to be the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics as well as international cricket and top level Australian rules football, both currently hosted at the Gabba.
Queensland Cricket, Chief Executive Officer, Terry Svenson welcomed the decision of the state government. “Queensland Cricket congratulates the Queensland Government on its decision to invest in the State’s future, with a world-class stadium that will be a centrepiece of Brisbane for 2032 and beyond,” Svenson said. “The Gabba has been wonderful venue for cricket for many years and has provided fans and players with countless memories – however the challenges the stadium faces are well documented, and we need to look to the future. There is now the opportunity for Queensland to attract the world’s best cricket events, such as ICC events, men’s and women’s Ashes Series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, as well has hosting the BBL and WBBL in a new purpose-built stadium.”
The Brisbane Lions are the Australian Football League premiers. Their CEO Greg Swann was equally as welcoming. “The Gabba has been a great home for the past 30 years, but the city has outgrown it, the Lions have outgrown it, and the venue is reaching its end of life,” Swann said.
“The Olympics and Paralympics presents an opportunity to deliver a venue that will serve the City and State’s growing population, not just for the Games, but for the next 50 years. Between now and the Olympics nearly 4 million Queensland sports fans will visit the Gabba for either a Lions or cricket match, with each event creating job and economic opportunities and ensuring our local events industry is equipped and skilled to deliver the Games. We need all stakeholders to unite behind 2032 so we can get on with delivering the venues needed to host a great Games and critical infrastructure for decades to come.”
Former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman was amongst a group that opposed the potential loss of green space at the Victoria Park site. “It is not only the stadium, but now we’re getting the swimmers talking about putting a swimming venue in the park as well. And this is what happens. These people really have to look at their own words,” Newman told Fox Sports News. “One minute they’re saying it’s only going to take up x-percent of the Park. The next minute, within a few breaths, they’re talking about putting the swimming in there as well. And that’s how it goes (and soon) you have no park.”
Those opposed to the new stadium site seem likely to challenge the decision in court according to Fox Sports News.
Major League Baseball is suspending Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy. Profar tested positive for a banned substance called chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Profar’s suspension is effective immediately, and while he can return after 80 games, he will be ineligible to play in the 2025 postseason.
In a statement, the Braves said:
“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience.”
In his own statement released by the MLB Players Association, Profar said, “Today is the most difficult day of my baseball career,” and he apologized to the Braves organization, his teammates and fans.
“It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it,” he said in the statement. “I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The @MLBPA is releasing the statement below on behalf of Jurickson Profar. pic.twitter.com/BIQ7jc9BP9
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) March 31, 2025
Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves in January after a career year with the San Diego Padres in 2024, slashing .280/.380/.459 and earning All-Star and Silver Slugger honors. He played in each of the Braves’ four games so far this season, slashing .200/.250/.200.
The Braves are winless in the 2025 season so far. They open a three-game series against the Dodgers on Monday in L.A.
Major League Baseball is suspending Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy. Profar tested positive for a banned substance called chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Profar’s suspension is effective immediately, and while he can return after 80 games, he will be ineligible to play in the 2025 postseason.
In a statement, the Braves said:
“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience.”
In his own statement released by the MLB Players Association, Profar said, “Today is the most difficult day of my baseball career,” and he apologized to the Braves organization, his teammates and fans.
“It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it,” he said in the statement. “I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The @MLBPA is releasing the statement below on behalf of Jurickson Profar. pic.twitter.com/BIQ7jc9BP9
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) March 31, 2025
Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves in January after a career year with the San Diego Padres in 2024, slashing .280/.380/.459 and earning All-Star and Silver Slugger honors. He played in each of the Braves’ four games so far this season, slashing .200/.250/.200.
The Braves are winless in the 2025 season so far. They open a three-game series against the Dodgers on Monday in L.A.
The strikeouts continued Monday for Rafael Devers. In the Boston Red Sox’s 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, the designated hitter went 0-for-3 at the plate with two walks and three strikeouts.
Through five games, Devers has yet to get a hit in 19 at-bats, and he has returned to the dugout 15 times due to a strikeout.
After striking out 10 times through the first three games of the season, Devers set an MLB record. He’s now the first hitter since 1901 without a hit with at least 15 strikeouts in his team’s first five games, according to Baseball Reference.
The issues at the plate are a continuation from the end of Devers’ 2024 season, when he went 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts over his final four games. He finished with a .272 batting average, 28 home runs and 83 RBI. He struck out a career-high 147 times.
Devers, 28, made noise during spring training when he insisted that he was not interested in giving up third base for Alex Bregman, a Gold Glove winner who signed with the Red Sox over the winter. Devers is one of the worst third basemen in baseball via multiple advanced metrics, including outs above average (OAA) and fielding run value (FRV).
Rafael Devers, 2025 (19 AB): 15 strikeouts.
Tony Gwynn, 1995 (535 AB): 15 strikeouts.(deleted previous tweet because there was a typo)
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 31, 2025
Ultimately, the decision was made to have Devers serve as designated hitter instead of playing third, where he has started for 951 of his 956 MLB games.
Now his slow start at the plate has drawn plenty of critics, including former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who questioned the conditioning of Devers.
“Maybe [Rafael Devers] is out of shape,” Papelbon said. “Maybe we gotta trim a little bit of fat. … Know what happens when you trim fat? Pigs squeal. … You trim fat, pigs squeal. That’s what you’re looking for — your pigs to squeal. They hit home runs.”
“Pigs squeal” is Papelbon’s way of saying the bats will make noise.
The Red Sox are off Tuesday before resuming their series with the Orioles on Wednesday. Maybe Devers can get himself a torpedo bat on the off day to help him snap out of this slump.
The strikeouts continued Monday for Rafael Devers. In the Boston Red Sox’s 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, the designated hitter went 0-for-3 at the plate with two walks and three strikeouts.
Through five games, Devers has yet to get a hit in 19 at-bats, and he has returned to the dugout 15 times due to a strikeout.
After striking out 10 times through the first three games of the season, Devers set an MLB record. He’s now the first hitter since 1901 without a hit with at least 15 strikeouts in his team’s first five games, according to Baseball Reference.
The issues at the plate are a continuation from the end of Devers’ 2024 season, when he went 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts over his final four games. He finished with a .272 batting average, 28 home runs and 83 RBI. He struck out a career-high 147 times.
Devers, 28, made noise during spring training when he insisted that he was not interested in giving up third base for Alex Bregman, a Gold Glove winner who signed with the Red Sox over the winter. Devers is one of the worst third basemen in baseball via multiple advanced metrics, including outs above average (OAA) and fielding run value (FRV).
Rafael Devers, 2025 (19 AB): 15 strikeouts.
Tony Gwynn, 1995 (535 AB): 15 strikeouts.(deleted previous tweet because there was a typo)
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 31, 2025
Ultimately, the decision was made to have Devers serve as designated hitter instead of playing third, where he has started for 951 of his 956 MLB games.
Now his slow start at the plate has drawn plenty of critics, including former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who questioned the conditioning of Devers.
“Maybe [Rafael Devers] is out of shape,” Papelbon said. “Maybe we gotta trim a little bit of fat. … Know what happens when you trim fat? Pigs squeal. … You trim fat, pigs squeal. That’s what you’re looking for — your pigs to squeal. They hit home runs.”
“Pigs squeal” is Papelbon’s way of saying the bats will make noise.
The Red Sox are off Tuesday before resuming their series with the Orioles on Wednesday. Maybe Devers can get himself a torpedo bat on the off day to help him snap out of this slump.
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If your current Windows setup is feeling a bit outdated or you’re setting up a brand-new PC, you might want to check out this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal on StackSocial—you can get this single-device lifetime license for just $15, which would usually cost you $200 at the Microsoft Store. Once you buy, the redemption code and setup instructions hit your inbox instantly. That said, make sure your system is eligible before you hit purchase. This isn’t an upgrade path for unsupported PCs—it’s a fresh install for machines that meet the full list of Windows 11 Pro requirements.
Now, about the OS itself—it feels like Windows finally got a glow-up without messing with your workflow. The layout is cleaner, Snap Layouts and virtual desktops make multitasking smoother, and redocking windows actually works like you’d expect. If you’re into voice typing or just want better search across apps and docs, it delivers. Windows 11 Pro also throws in some solid pro tools like BitLocker for encryption, Hyper-V for virtualization, and even a sandbox mode for testing apps safely. You’re also getting DirectX 12 Ultimate, so your hardware can shine during gaming or graphic-heavy tasks, assuming your machine is beefy enough.
Security is another win here. Windows 11 Pro doubles down with biometric login, Smart App Control, and TPM 2.0 requirements, which makes it a tougher nut to crack. It also includes the new AI-powered Copilot and baked-in Microsoft Teams support, which might appeal to remote workers. Just a heads up, you won’t get an Office upgrade bundled in with this deal—this is strictly a Windows license. It will work alongside Office if you have a separate license, though (if you’re on a Mac using Parallels Pro). If your PC meets the specs (like a 1GHz processor, 4GB RAM, TPM 2.0, and UEFI firmware, among others), and you’ve been holding off on a full Windows upgrade, this $14.97 deal is about as straightforward and affordable as it gets. Just be sure to double-check your specs before clicking “buy.”
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
It’s the last day of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, but you can still find tech products with great deals. We’ve done some work to dig up the best deals available—our associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt has highlighted her favorite overall tech bargains and I’ve rounded up the best tech you can grab for 50% off—and this roundup offers the best tech that’ll cost you less than $50.
As Lifehacker’s deal writer, I used price-tracking tools to vet deals to make sure they’re legit. Here are the best I’ve found that are still live:
Tribit MaxSound Plus Speaker $48.99 (originally $79.99). Tritbit makes quality portable budget speakers, and the MaxSound Plus sits somewhere in the middle in price and size.
Amazon Fire 7 tablet $44.99 (originally $59.99). Amazon’s most budget tablet gets cheaper. A great option for kids or someone looking for a basic tablet.
Roku Express $17.99 (originally $29.99). I love Roku TV, and if you’re looking for the cheapest option to get your foot in the door, this is it. It’s also 40% off.
Tile by Life360 Mate (2024) $31.99 (originally $44.99). Android users can’t use AirTags, but Tile is compatible with Android and iOS. These Tile Bluetooth trackers work using the same concept as AirTags, depending on a network of users to tell you where the trackers are.
INIU Portable Charger $15.99 (originally $24.99). I’ve been using the same INUI portable chargers for four years and have dropped it too many times. It’s reliable and does its job well. For $16, you could do much worse.
Eufy Security Outdoor Cam E210 $39.99 (originally $49.99). I love Eufy cameras because they’re subscription-free. The Outdoor Cam E210 is a budget outdoor wired camera, meaning you’ll likely need an electrician to install it, but for $40, you’re saving a lot of money on materials.
Blink Mini 2 $19.99 (originally $39.99). Blink does offer a subscription if you want cloud storage or certain features, but the basics are free. The Mini 2 is their latest indoor camera with night vision and motion detection. Not bad for $20.
Blink Video Doorbell $32.99 (originally $59.99). This is the classic video doorbell from Blink and probably the best one for the least amount of money you can get.
Kasa Matter Smart Dimmer Switch (3-pack) 43.99 (originally $74.99). This smart light switch turns your light into a smart light with access to integrated smart home tech. You can also dim the lights, use voice controls, or manage it remotely.
Govee Smart Light Bulbs $23.99 (originally $34.99). I’ve been using Govee smart lights for a couple of months and have really liked their app. If you want a reliable companion app and budget smart lights you can control remotely, look no further.
AeroFit Open-Ear Headphones $49.99 (originally $129.99). I’ve been using these open-ear headphones around the house and occasionally on runs for over a year. They’re easy to use, sound great for the price, and come with a companion app that makes the experience better with EQ and other features.
Anker Space A40 Earbuds $49.99 (originally $99.99). The A40 have the same companion app as the AeroFit and are a great value for budget ANC earbuds that you can read more about here.
Anker MagGo Magnetic Charging Station $49.99 (originally $99.99). I’m a fan of charging stations because they satisfy both my need for organization and practicality. This one from Anker has MagGo for wireless iPhone charging, three outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a magnetic pad.
Anker 525 Charging Station $29.99 (originally $65.99). If you don’t want a MagGo for wireless charging an iPhone, then consider the Anker 525 with the same other ports for almost half the price.
Eufy Digital Bathroom Scale P2 Pro $37.98 (originally $79.99) with code P2PROUSA at checkout. You can buy digital smart scales that read your body fat percentage from any no-brand company for cheap, but why not get it from a trusted brand also for cheap, after a 50% discount?
Shopping for tech? Lifehacker can help you make the right decision. Browse our tech reviews and head-to-head comparisons for everything from laptops and smartwatches to e-bikes and home gyms. Subscribe to our deals newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox, or browse our best-of lists directly on Amazon, including:
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