Ortiz discredits PED result from 2003

Retired Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday despite reportedly testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003.

The 46-year-old addressed the matter on Tuesday following his election.

"We had someone coming out with this one list that you don't know what anybody tested positive for," Ortiz said, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "All of the sudden, people are pointing fingers at me but then we started being drug tested and I never failed a test. What does that tell us?”

The Red Sox legend believes the positive result may have been caused by an over-the-counter vitamin supplement, according to Cotillo.

The ex-slugger put up sensational numbers after the 2003 test: he made 10 All-Star Game appearances, earned seven Silver Sluggers, and seven top-10 MVP finishes.

In 2016, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said it was possible Ortiz did not actually test positive in 2003.

"I think that the feeling was, at the time that name was leaked, that it was important to make people understand that even if your name was on that list, that it was entirely possible that you were not a positive," Manfred told The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. "I do know that he's never been a positive at any point under our program."

Ortiz was the lone inductee into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, while others such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa fell off the ballot for future consideration.