**Update: Davis made a statement about the drug test, saying, “I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Orioles organization and especially the fans. I made a mistake by taking Adderall. I had permission to use it in the past, but do not have a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) this year. I accept my punishment and will begin serving my suspension immediately.”
Chris Davis—the Orioles first baseman who made headlines when he hit 53 home runs and 138 RBIs last year—has tested positive for amphetamines and been suspended for 25 games, according to the MASN Orioles Twitter account.
In April, we ran a feature story about Davis, where he discussed the pressures coming off last season, his previous battles with alcohol abuse, and acknowledged the rumors about his steroid use:
“For so long, baseball had such a black eye with steroids. A lot of people were hurt that guys were using them. I get it, I understand. I was a fan. I was there when McGwire and Sosa were hitting balls out every other night. Hopefully, it will die down over the next few years. I think baseball has done an outstanding job of implementing a drug-testing policy and a list of banned substances. We have all the information that we need.”
Apparently, now we do have all the information we need. While his bat has been lackluster (his average clocks in at a measly .198), he has still hit for power, hitting the most home runs for the team only behind Nelson Cruz.
Maybe even more importantly, he’s been a solid presence at first and, occasionally, third base. This also means that we will go into the playoffs without our starting catcher, third basemen, and first basemen.
But something tells us that our resilient O’s will power through. This weekend’s four-game series against the Yankees should be the ultimate test.
Between this and the Ray Rice dismissal, it’s been a grim week for Baltimore sports fans.