Breaking his silence to the local media about the suspension that cost him the opportunity to play in the 2014 postseason, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis expressed regret in letting down his teammates and explained his reason for using Adderall on Saturday.
Now the 28-year-old looks to bounce back from a nightmarish 2014 season in which he hit only .196 and was suspended 25 games on Sept. 12, just days before the Orioles clinched their first American League East title since 1997.
“It was a moment of weakness,” Davis said. “Obviously, I wasn’t thinking about the big picture. It was a mistake I wish I could go back and undo.”
Davis confirmed that he has received a therapeutic-use exemption to once again use the drug prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Major League Baseball did not grant Davis an exemption for the 2013 and 2014 seasons after having one in previous years, and the slugger admitted to using the drug “a couple times” last year even though he knew he was at risk of testing positive.
The first baseman would not reveal when his first failed test occurred or why he lost his previous exemption, only saying he “didn’t take the right steps.” However, Davis made it clear that his use of the drug shouldn’t be associated with his performance — good or bad — on the field as he downplayed the need to use the drug for baseball.
The drug helps sharpen focus, which is why it’s considered a banned substance with an exemption.
“It was never a baseball issue. For me, it was off the field — just an everyday life thing,” Davis said. “There were a lot of times when I was young where teachers had brought it up and kind of mentioned [ADHD], but we never really went down that road. When I was diagnosed in 2008, I was prescribed Adderall and I realized how much of a difference it made just in my everyday life. For me, that was kind of the reason I went down that road.”
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Several of his teammates were asked how his return will impact the clubhouse with the general consensus being that the Orioles have moved on from last year. Though Davis was invited to rejoin the club for the AL Championship Series last October, many teammates expressed disappointment in his poor judgment at the time the suspension was announced.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy pointed to Davis’ exemption for the 2015 season as evidence that it’s a non-issue. Though he’ll be allowed to participate in spring training and play in Grapefruit League contests, Davis will serve the final game of his ban on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 6.
“I guess we should have won one in the American League Championship Series. We screwed that up,” said relief pitcher Darren O’Day, who played with Davis in Texas. “I think that’s in the past. We’ve all talked to Chris about it; he’s talked to us about it. We’ve addressed it as a team. He’s moving on, and we’re moving on. We’re expecting him to be right back where he was with the sweet swing and hitting balls out of left field. It’s going to be fun.”
Understandably, many will remain skeptical of Davis after he was so outspoken against the use of performance-enhancing drugs during his 2013 campaign in which he slugged a franchise-record 53 home runs, but he is focused on rebounding in his final season before becoming a free agent. The Orioles have discussed a long-term extension with Davis’ agent, Scott Boras, in the past, but it appears likely that the first baseman will want to rebuild his value during the 2015 campaign before potentially hitting the open market.
Davis pointed to a slow start and the oblique injury suffered in late April as the primary reasons why he was unable to get on track in 2014 after producing his overwhelming numbers a year earlier. In 127 games, Davis saw his home run total fall from 53 to 26 as he posted a .704 on-base plus slugging percentage a year after producing a 1.004 mark.
“I’ve been doing a little bit different workout this [winter]. I’ve been working on my bunting down the third-base line a lot,” said Davis, cracking a smile as he alluded to the exaggerated infield shifts opponents used against him last season. “But I’m ready to get started. I wish we started tomorrow.”
