Rays/MLB

Giants exhale as Bonds learns injury is minor

By wire services
Published March 27, 2006

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The discomfort in Barry Bonds' left elbow was nothing more than minor inflammation, the Giants said Sunday, and shouldn't cause any lasting ill effects.

Although the Giants cleared Bonds to resume baseball activities today, he told mlb.com he probably would return to San Francisco Tuesday and resume playing Thursday, when the team faces the Angels in an exhibition.

"It feels much better," Bonds said. "Maybe there's a few bone chips in it. That's my guess, but I don't know. I can play through that. No problem. I only need one arm to swing the bat anyway."

Two doctors examined Bonds' elbow and "were very happy with what they saw in the examination," team spokesman Blake Rhodes said.

Giants trainer Stan Conte said Bonds, whose injury came to light when he was scratched from Saturday's game against the White Sox, probably could have played Sunday if it were a regular-season game.

Manager Felipe Alou, who had planned to play Bonds on Thursday against the Angels and Saturday in Oakland, said the leftfielder "probably" won't appear in another exhibition on the Arizona portion of the schedule, which ends Wednesday.

PEDRO STRONG: Mets ace Pedro Martinez gave up one hit over three strong innings in his spring training debut Sunday.

Sidelined since the beginning of camp with cartilage damage in his right big toe, the right-hander struck out two and walked one in facing just 10 batters, helping New York beat the Orioles 8-0. Former Devil Rays right-hander Victor Zambrano pitched the last six innings.

"I felt pretty good," Martinez said. "I felt the toe a couple of times, but it felt good enough to go out there and do what I had to do."

SORIANO'S ADVENTURES: Alfonso Soriano's outfield play continues to be a work in progress. His offense, however, is right on schedule.

Soriano misplayed a ball in the first inning that led to an Astros run, but he was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and three runs for Washington.

In the top of the first, left-hander Lance Berkman hit a ball the opposite way to left-center that Soriano misread. He charged, and the ball carried over his head, allowing Willy Taveras to score from first.

MINOR-LEAGUE STRIKE: Two days after minor-league umpires said they intend to strike, management's lawyer denied that unfair labor practices have been committed.

The Association of Minor League Umpires issued a statement Friday saying its members plan to strike at the start of the season next month and said unfair labor practice charges had been filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

"The AMLU has been threatening to strike in support of their contract demands for weeks," George Yund, the lawyer for the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation, wrote in an e-mail. "They're trying to mislead someone by now changing their story to claim that they want to strike to protest these alleged unfair labor practices."

A'S: After striking out on a check swing in his first at-bat, DH Frank Thomas, in his first game with Oakland, hit a 1-and-1 pitch from Rockies right-hander Josh Fogg that sailed high over the billboards beyond the left-centerfield fence. ... Former Devil Rays right-hander Chad Gaudin was one of six players optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

DODGERS: Catcher Dioner Navarro was cleared to play after being slowed by a right hamstring strain. He is scheduled to bat in minor-league games today and Tuesday before returning to catching duties with Los Angeles on Wednesday.

MARLINS: Left-hander Scott Olsen, competing with right-hander Josh Johnson for the fifth starting spot, strengthened his case, giving up a run on three hits in 51/3 innings against the Cardinals. Olsen is scheduled for one more start. Manager Joe Girardi has stopped short of saying he is in the rotation.

REDS: Catcher Jason LaRue is scheduled for surgery today on torn cartilage in his right knee. LaRue is expected to miss a couple of weeks.

TIGERS: First baseman Carlos Pena was unconditionally released after batting .160 with one home run in 50 at-bats this spring.

TWINS: Left-hander Darrell May, among a group of veterans trying to win one of two open bullpen spots, was released.

WHITE SOX: Right-hander Hideo Nomo, 5-8 with a 7.24 ERA for the Rays last season, continued to struggle, allowing three earned runs, including two home runs, in three innings against the Royals. He went in with a 6.75 ERA in four innings.

[Last modified March 27, 2006, 00:31:13]