Struggling Orioles slugger Chris Davis just tested positive for Adderall, an amphetamine, and will be suspended for 25 games!
Adderall is a drug used to treat ADHD, and some Major League Baseball players are allowed to take it. (In 2013, 119 players were issued exemptions.) Some players without ADHD take Adderall as a performance-enhancing drug, with the hope that “performance and stamina can be enhanced.”
It’s an infuriating thing to discover about any athlete, but it’s particularly ironic for Chris Davis, as he has been so vocal about his disdain for steroid users (granted, Adderall is not a steroid). And of course, despite presumably passing his tests in 2013, this throws that 53-homer season into question. AND, DARN IT, WE’VE ALL BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT THE ORIOLES’ GREATEST SEASON IN A MILLION YEARS AND WE REALLY DON’T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!
The only consolation in all of this is that he has been performing so poorly lately.
Well – he actually hasn’t been performing POORLY – he’s just not hitting home-runs every game – he’s great at first base and losing him is a hard hit. I hope the Major League would reconsider if this is a legitimate prescription. Such a heartbreaking week for Baltimore sports fans – when will it end!
You’re right, Still A Fan. And what’s more, he deserves our compassion even if he doesn’t have a legitimate medical reason to take Adderall. If he has a dependency on it, say. Which is suggested by the MLB policy of imposing a suspension only after the SECOND failed test. The point being, why would anyone who wasn’t addicted to Adderall continue to take it after the first failed test? I hope he recovers from this and stays with the O’s.