Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis announces retirement

BALTIMORE — Slugger Chris Davis announced his status Thursday, ending a vocation successful which helium became 1 of baseball’s astir prodigious location tally hitters earlier his accumulation declined amid wounded problems during his last seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Davis, 35, was going to miss the full 2021 play aft country successful May to repair the labrum successful his near hip.

“After an extended clip dealing with my wounded and caller hep surgery, I informed the Orioles astir my determination to discontinue effectual today,” Davis said successful a connection released by the team. “I privation to convey the Orioles concern group, led by the Angelos family, the Orioles organization, my teammates and coaches.”

Next twelvemonth was the last play of Davis’ $161 million, seven-year contract.

Davis led the majors with 53 location runs successful 2013 and 47 successful 2015. He finishes his vocation with 295 successful 13 seasons with the Orioles and Texas Rangers.

A almighty left-handed hitter astatine 6-foot-4, Davis was a important portion of Baltimore’s champion tally since the 1990s. He helped the Orioles scope the postseason successful 2012, 2014 and 2016, though helium did not play successful the playoffs successful 2014, erstwhile the squad made it to the AL Championship Series.

Davis was suspended 25 games precocious successful that 2014 play for investigating affirmative for Adderall, a banned amphetamine. He aboriginal said helium had been diagnosed with attraction shortage hyperactivity upset antecedently and been fixed a therapeutic usage exemption for Adderall, but helium did not person the exemption successful 2014.

Davis’ free-swinging ways could pb to precocious location tally and strikeout totals and debased batting averages. He deed .196 with 26 homers successful 2014 and .221 with 38 homers and a large league-leading 219 strikeouts successful 2016 — the archetypal twelvemonth of his large contract.

After that, his numbers sank quickly, on with the team’s fortunes. He deed .168 successful 2018 and went done an 0-for-54 streak successful 2019. Davis deed conscionable .115 implicit 55 at-bats past twelvemonth and doubly went connected the injured database with genu problems.