Davis thinks his poor performance was due to an injury

[wildcard]

Brit writes in an interview with Chris Davis:

Even without the suspension, Davis' season left much to be desired. After a career year in 2013, in which he hit 53 homers with 138 RBIs, Davis hit .196 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs in 127 games last year.

"I definitely think it was the injury," said Davis, who was placed on the disabled list in late April. "Early on in the season, I was hurt -- I was trying to play through it -- and I really didn't realize how much of an impact it had on me until this offseason, until I had time to recover and start hitting again, and feel the difference between the beginning of last year and now. It's an injury you can't really prevent. At the time, I continued to play -- and I wasn't the same player."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/108015266/orioles-chris-davis-discusses-his-suspension-for-the-first-time

Apr 27, 2014 Strained left oblique, 15-day DL (retroactive to April 26th, 2014). He missed 12 games.

[Dipper9]

Lets hope he's right.

[Gurgi]

Lets hope he is right and has a monster season and we get a first round pick when he leaves in the next off season.

[wildcard]

Lets hope he is right and has a monster season and we get a first round pick when he leaves in the next off season.

That is impossible under the current rules. The best the O's could get is a compensation pick between the first and second rounds.

[Bahama O's Fan]

If the coaching and management staff really believe this, then do anything you can to extend him now. Buy low.

[Jim'sKid26]

Perhaps no current Oriole has more to prove this year than CD. I worry that he will put too much pressure on himself, have a tough 1-2 month stretch early in the season, and flame out. I hate to say it, but I really do question his character. I hope I'm wrong.

[jtschrei]

Didn't Markakis blame one of his down seasons on an oblique injury he tried to play through?

If Davis is healthy, i think the average will come up slightly and you'll see something like his 2012 season -- .270, 33 hrs, 85Rbis. It's all about the big fella staying healthy. We're going to need him to replace some of that production lost from Cruz leaving.

[weams]

Didn't Markakis blame one of his down seasons on an oblique injury he tried to play through?

A torn Rectus Abdominis. Like Henry Urrutia had last year.

[Can_of_corn]

It was a factor, but not the only one.

I am hoping for a 2012 level comeback.

[Frobby]

A torn Rectus Abdominis. Like Henry Urrutia had last year.

And I don't think Nick ever blamed anything on that injury. He thought he had a bone bruise. The torn stomach muscle was diagnosed after the "bruise" hadn't healed two months into the offseason.

I still recall a catch Nick made in game 161 that year on a shallow liner near the foul line where he laid out to make the catch and caught it sliding on his belly. It must have hurt like hell to make that move with a torn abdominal muscle. It might be my favorite Nick Markskis moment. He was a tough SOB.

[InsideCoroner]

I am hoping for a 2012 level comeback.

Likewise, and I think that's the sanest expectation.

[Tx Oriole]

Lets hope he's right.

Yea I guess so.

[spiritof66]

Here's a question about Chris Davis in 2015 that intrigues me.

Chris is one of the LH sluggers most affected by defensive shifting. Assume that, through intensive work in the off-season and ST, he becomes a proficient bunter. Obviously, I have no idea how good a bunter Chris Davis can be. I think that he potentially would be better than most other LH "shift hitters," who are older and less athletic. I also think that learning to be successful at "shift-bunting," which always calls for pushing the ball hard toward 3B, should be easier than conventional bunting, requiring that the ball be deadened and directed in different ways depending on the situation.

While his ability to shift-bunt will vary with the pitcher and how he's pitched, let's say Chris proves he can do that for a .650 BA (almost all singles with a few doubles thrown in) Since he would walk a little, when he bunts against the shift he has an OBP of .700 and also slugs .700. (If you don't like my numbers, make up your own.) How long would it take, and how high would those numbers have to be, for opposing managers to call off the extreme shift, by which I mean having four infielders, one somewhere near 3B) in the early innings of a tie game, with (a) no outs and nobody on, and (b) a man on third and one out? :scratchchinhmm:

[hendu]

If the coaching and management staff really believe this' date=' then do anything you can to extend him now. Buy low.[/quote']

Unless he miraculously switches agents, this simply isn't happening. He could have another season hitting around .200, and Boras will still get him paid next offseason.

Add that Pete won't allow himself to get in a bidding war, and just appreciate it if Crush has another great season. The Boras trio will not be here next year.

[gmelson26]

It was a factor, but not the only one.

I am hoping for a 2012 level comeback.

The DD off-season is also hoping for this.