Orioles slugger Chris Davis was on hand for the team’s annual FanFest today and opened up about the 25-game Adderall suspension which put an end to his disappointing 2014 campaign and left him on the sidelines during the playoffs.
Davis was suspended because he was found to have tested positive on two occasions for Adderall. Players are allowed to take the drug if they receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) from MLB. This is something Davis had in previous years, but for some reason he didn’t have it last year.
According to Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com, below is part of Davis’ explanation:“I took it a couple of times. It was a moment of weakness,” Davis said. “I wish I could go back and undo it.”
Davis, who fell back sharply from his 53 home run season in 2013, said that Adderall helps him concentrate because he has Attention Deficit Disorder. It’s not a performance-enhancer, he says.
“It was never a baseball issue. It was an everyday life thing,” Davis said.
Obviously many beg to differ about whether Adderall is a performance-enhancer. Davis, who was originally diagnosed with ADD in 2008, has a TUE for Adderall this year. He still has one game remaining on his suspension from last year, so he will have to sit out Opening Day before rejoining the Orioles lineup. However, he will be eligible to play during spring training.