Sorry Orioles, it’s never easy. Chris Davis will miss the rest of the regular season and a good chunk of the playoffs after testing positive for amphetamines.
Orioles 1B Chris Davis suspended 25 games without pay after testing positive for an Amphetamine. The suspension includes #postseason games.
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2014
The AL East-leading Orioles have 17 games left in the regular season. The suspension also covers the playoffs, so the earliest Davis would be able to play (assuming that the Orioles win the AL East) would be Game 4 of the ALCS.
Davis has struggled in 2014, a year after leading baseball with 53 homers. His home run output has dropped to just 26 this year, and his overall triple slash is a sad-looking .196/.300/.404.
He had been getting playing time at third base in addition to first after Manny Machado’s knee injury, so the Orioles are really in a pickle now. I assume that Ryan Flaherty gets most of the playing time at third now, but he’s been filling in for J.J. Hardy at short over the last week.
How big does that Kelly Johnson acquisition look now?