Bonds to resume chase of home run record Monday

By wire services
Published September 11, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO - Giants slugger Barry Bonds will be activated from the disabled list Monday after being medically cleared to play by Dr. Lewis Yocum.

Bonds, who hasn't played all season while recovering from three right knee operations since Jan. 31, would be available to resume his quest for the home run record when San Francisco opens a three-game series against the first-place Padres on Monday night at SBC Park.

The team said it consulted with Yocum, the Angels team orthopedist, who recommended giving Bonds one more day as a precaution in hopes of keeping him from further injuring the knee.

"I saw it on the scoreboard," manager Felipe Alou said Saturday. "I didn't have a lot of time to think about it because I was managing the last two innings. Tomorrow is the big day to make plans. He's been practicing and running around. That's good enough for me, of course."

Bonds took a day off from baseball activity Saturday after five straight days of onfield workouts that tested his knee and overall health.

"He can wait 'til Monday," said Cubs and former Giants manager Dusty Baker, whose club concludes its four-game series with San Francisco today. "The Padres are the team he's had his most success against."

Bonds, who was gone by the time the game ended, has said he wanted to return only once he was able to play leftfield.

ASTROS: Leftfielder Luke Scott left the game against the Brewers after crashing full speed into the wall trying to rob Corey Hart of a home run in the third. Scott batted in the fourth, then was replaced by Chris Burke.

METS: Catcher Mike Piazza was activated from the disabled list and started against the Cardinals in his first game action since breaking a bone in his left hand Aug. 16.

PHILLIES: Right-hander Vicente Padilla, Philadelphia's most consistent starter in the second half, will miss his scheduled start Tuesday with a strained rib cage.

[Last modified September 11, 2005, 01:14:18]