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Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis announced his retirement Thursday, ending his 14-year MLB career. The 35-year-old Davis was set to miss the remainder of the 2021 season after having hip surgery in May. He hadn't played since the Orioles' spring training opener in February.
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"After an extended time dealing with my injury and recent hip surgery, I informed the Orioles about my decision to retire effective today," Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank the Orioles partnership group, led by the Angelos family, the Orioles organization, my teammates and coaches. ... Thank you all for the many memories that I will cherish forever."
Davis spent parts of his first four seasons with the Texas Rangers (2008-11) before being traded to the Orioles in 2011. The slugging first baseman and designated hitter then played the next nine seasons in Baltimore before his hip ailment forced him to miss the entire 2021 campaign.
Davis led the majors with 53 home runs in the 2013 season and 47 in 2015. He ends his career with 295 homers in 13 total seasons between the Rangers and Orioles.
"Those really good years, those '12 to '17 years, he was a fixture in the lineup and a major run producer," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. "He was a middle-of-the-order bat on a really, really good team.
"He's done so much off the field as well. Great teammate, well liked in the clubhouse, well liked around the league."
In 1,417 career games, Davis had a .233 batting average with 780 RBIs and 1,160 hits.
