Orioles first baseman/third baseman Chris Davis has been suspended 25 games by MLB after testing positive for amphetamines. The suspension is effective immediately and includes the playoffs in addition to the Orioles’ final 17 regular season games.
Davis had a career-year in 2013, hitting .286 with a league-leading 53 homers and 138 RBIs on the way to finishing third in the MVP balloting, but he’s been a mess this season with a .196 batting average and league-high 173 strikeouts in 127 games while his OPS has dropped 300 points.
Suspensions for amphetamines have been common in recent years, mostly among minor leaguers. Cameron Maybin of the Padres was suspended 25 games for amphetamines in July and other big leagues to receive amphetamine-based suspensions recently include Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies, Miguel Tejada of the Marlins, and Troy Patton of the Orioles.
Davis said in a statement that he will not appeal the suspension, so he’d be available for the Orioles’ ninth playoff game if they make it past the opening round. Here’s the rest of his statement:
If accurate, Davis got suspended for taking something MLB allowed him to take last season and players on every MLB roster are similarly allowed to take this season.