Chris Davis didn't have a particularly memorable game Tuesday night. He went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch as the Orioles' DH.
But the important thing for the Orioles is that Davis' 25-game suspension for amphetamine (Adderall) usage is over. And he is back in the lineup.
"I felt good. First couple at-bats I was pretty fired up. My adrenaline kind of got the better of me. I was overswinging a little bit," Davis said. "As the game progressed I settled down a little bit, started seeing some pitches and took some better swings and just had better takes. Definitely a little rusty, but it felt good to be back in there."
When he came to the plate in the first inning, the Orioles' first four batters had already reached. And Davis hadn't had a plate appearance in a real game since Sept. 10. So he definitely was anxious, and he hit a check-swing tapper to third base for an out.
"Yeah, I was a little fired up. I think you try to calm yourself down as much as you can first at-bat of the season," he said. "I almost got away with one, but I was kind of overswinging early, swinging at some balls that were good pitches, but not pitches that I could do a lot with. Settled down throughout the game and it was good to see some more pitches and get some more at-bats under my belt."
The announced crowd at Tropicana Field was 13,906, and a solid chunk of those were Orioles fans. So Davis wasn't really booed –- in fact, it was a mix of boos and cheers for his first at-bat. And nothing much after that.
"I feel like we travel pretty well, especially the last few years having a winning ballclub. I feel like we see a lot of O's fans in the stands and it was good to get a warm reception from our fans," he said. "It's something that maybe goes a little unnoticed sometimes, the fact that your fans are on the road with you. But I was just glad to get back in there and get into a rhythm."
Here's what manager Buck Showalter had to say about Davis' return: "As Chris will tell you, he had a couple of really good at-bats. Last at-bat was probably his best at-bat of the night. I feel confident there's good things to come."