Davis (hip) announced his retirement from baseball Thursday.
The 35-year-old calls it quits on a 13-year career spent with the Rangers and Orioles. He'll retire with 295 homers (including 53 in his All-Star season back in 2013) and 1,160 hits. While he was one of the league's best power hitters in the middle of the last decade, he's struggled significantly since the start of the 2018 season, hitting .169/.251/.299 over that span, so the decision comes as little surprise. Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, he'll still be paid the $23 million remaining on his seven-year, $161 million deal next season despite his retirement, though a portion of that money will be deferred. Davis never saw game action in 2021 while dealing with back and hip injuries.
Orioles' Chris Davis: Gets season-ending hip surgery
Rotowire
Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that Davis (back) underwent arthroscopic left hip labrum surgery Wednesday in Dallas, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports. Elias said Davis "projects to be out for the season" while he spends the next 4-to-5 months recovering from the procedure.
Davis had been shut down in spring training with what the Orioles initially called a lower-back strain. After opening the season on the 60-day injured list, Davis had been rehabbing on his own with the goal of making a return at some point over the summer, but he apparently wasn't progressing as quickly as he hoped. With surgery ultimately being deemed necessary to address the lower-back/hip injury, Davis will have his entire 2021 season wiped out, though Baltimore likely wasn't counting on him being much of a contributor. Davis will look to be back to full health for the start of spring training, when he'll be entering the final season of his seven-year, $161 contract he signed in January 2016. Davis has provided little return on that massive investment, compiling a weak .196/.291/.379 batting line (79 wRC+) while striking out in 36 percent of his plate appearances over the first five years of the deal.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Rehabbing away from team
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Sunday that Davis (back) is conducting his rehab program in Texas at an outpatient facility, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.
Davis is without a clear timeline for a return, but his presence on the 60-day injured list means he won't be eligible to make his season debut until at least late May. The rebuilding Orioles likely aren't counting on the pricey first baseman to make much of an on-field impact in 2021.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Placed on 60-day injured list
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Davis (back) was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis was shut down in early March due to a lower-back strain, and he'll miss extended time to begin the regular season. Trey Mancini is slated to begin the season as the Orioles' everyday first baseman, and it's not yet clear when Davis could return. The Orioles quickly filled the vacancy on their 40-man roster by signing left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a major-league deal.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Could miss extended time
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde acknowledged the possibility Monday that Davis (back) could begin the season on the 60-day injured list, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis has yet to resume workouts with the Orioles since being shut down in early March with a lower-back strain that required an evaluation from a specialist. While the Orioles haven't shed much light on the severity of Davis' injury, it's clear that he'll need to spend more than the minimum 10 days on the IL to begin the season. Considering that Davis has slashed .196/.291/.379 since signing a seven-year, $161 million extension in January 2016, the Orioles are most likely viewing him as a sunk cost at this point, so don't expect the rebuilding club to rush him back even if his condition takes a dramatic turn for the better in the near future. Trey Mancini is slated to open the season as the Orioles' everyday first baseman.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Getting back checked by doctors
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that Davis is continuing to experience back soreness and remains without a timeline to return to action, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Hyde said that Davis will soon visit a specialist for further evaluation on his back injury -- a worrisome sign for the 34-year-old's chances of making a expedient return. Davis had already appeared to be on the outside looking in for an everyday role with the Orioles entering spring training, so the injury only further hinders his chances of finding steady at-bats during the regular season.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Battling back strain
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Davis is considered day-to-day with a lower-back strain, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
The veteran suffered the injury on a swing Sunday. He doesn't appear to be seriously hurt, but the Mariners have no reason not to be cautious with him this early in the spring. Even if fully healthy, however, there's no guarantee Davis will play a significant role this season, as the Orioles aren't likely to give many at-bats to a 35-year-old player who's hit just .169/.251/.299 over the last three years.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Turns in full workout
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Davis (kneecap) was a full participant in Monday's workout, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Davis doesn't look like he'll face any restrictions this spring after he finished the 2020 season on the injured list due to left patellar tendinitis. Though he has two years remaining on the seven-year, $161 million deal he signed in January 2016, Davis won't be assured a regular role in 2021 coming off yet another disastrous season at the dish. Since inking the massive contract, Davis has delivered a .196/.291/.379 slash line (79 wRC+) in 2,118 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Will have to earn at-bats
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Davis (kneecap) isn't guaranteed a role next season and will have to earn his at-bats, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis' performance hit yet another low in 2020, as he hit a miserable .115/.164/.173. That came in a small sample of just 55 plate appearances, however, as he battled knee issues for most of the campaign. The Orioles seem to be treating Davis' big contract (which still has two years left to run) as fully a sunk cost at this point and will prefer to give the majority of the playing time at first base and designated hitter to younger options. Davis already had hardly any value even in deep fantasy formats when he had a guaranteed role, so he can be almost completely written off as he falls down the depth chart.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Ruled out for season
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Davis (kneecap) won't play again during the regular season, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis landed on the injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis Monday, an issue that kept him sidelined for nearly three weeks earlier in the season. Although Davis would be eligible to return during the final week of the regular season, manager Brandon Hyde said Saturday that the first baseman will remain on the injured list and won't return this season.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Returns to injured list
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Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis Monday.
Davis was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but he'll be sidelined once again with the same issue that kept him out for nearly three weeks earlier in the season. With just under two weeks remaining in the regular season, it's unclear whether Davis will be able to return in 2020. Austin Hays (ribs) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Reinstated from injured list
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Davis (kneecap) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
Davis resumed workouts at the Orioles' alternate training site Monday after he was sidelined for nearly three weeks with left patella tightness. He'll return to the active roster just one day after participating in activities, but he could play a depth role in Baltimore given his ongoing struggles at the plate.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Resumes workouts
Rotowire
Davis (kneecap) resumed workouts at the Orioles' alternate training site Monday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis has been out for nearly three weeks with left patella tightness. The Orioles likely don't see any reason to rush him back, as he's hitting .122/.173/.184 through 52 plate appearances. Even when he's healthy, Baltimore will presumably prefer to give at-bats to younger and more effective options.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Lands on injured list
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Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list with left patella tightness, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
It's not yet clear how much time Davis is expected to miss. His loss won't be a particularly significant one for the Orioles, as he's hitting just .122/.173/.184 through 52 plate appearances this season, considerably worse than his quite poor numbers from the previous two campaigns. Ryan Mountcastle was recalled in a corresponding move.
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Orioles' Chris Davis: Losing playing time
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Davis remains on the bench for the third straight game Monday against Toronto, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Davis appears to be falling out of favor in Baltimore, though it's worth noting that two of his three days off have come against lefties like Monday's starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. Still, with a .388 OPS, a number which makes his .539 and .602 marks from the previous two seasons look practically dominant, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him on the bench increasingly frequently moving forward. Renato Nunez remains the first baseman Monday, with Pedro Severino serving as the designated hitter.
