On Friday, Major League Baseball announced that it has suspended Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis for 25 games for the use of amphetamines. Before the season started, MLB changed suspension rules, and Davis’ suspension will now include the postseason. He will miss the first eight games of the playoffs because of that. As teams cannot adjust their rosters mid-series, it is therefore unlikely Davis will play for the rest of the year unless Baltimore makes the World Series. Davis has issued the following statement on the 25-game ban:
“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.”
There is no doubt that the Orioles will miss Davis’ bat in the lineup. Though he has seen a massive decrease in production with his .196/.300/.404 line this year, Davis is still the kind of player that can tie a game with a swing of the bat and as such would have been a valuable asset in the playoffs. Kelly Johnson is the most likely candidate to replace Davis as the regular third baseman, where Davis had been playing in the wake of Manny Machado’s season-ending injury. Steve Pearce, who is enjoying a remarkable breakout campaign, has assumed first base duties since that time. In addition to the losses of Machado and now Davis, All-Star catcher Matt Weiters has been injured most of the year.
Adderall, normally used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, is a very common amphetamine used in MLB recently. Cameron Maybin was given a similar suspension earlier in the season, and last year Miguel Tejada and Carlos Ruiz were both suspended for Adderall usage. There is a large number of players who currently have TUE’s for Adderall, but it has been questioned whether the number of players who have ADHD is truly that high.
Sarah Davis contriubuted to this report.
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