Bonds’ return may come by weekend
Barry Bonds felt strong and limber while taking swings and running the bases in a pregame workout back home Thursday, and the San Francisco Giants slugger said there’s a possibility he could return this weekend.
Bonds, who hasn’t played this season after three surgeries on his troublesome right knee since Jan. 31, faced 21 pitches from Giants right-hander Kevin Correia split into two sessions in a simulated game. He took just one swing at the first seven pitches, but hit an early pitch from the second session out of the park.
He also took a round of batting practice against hitting coach Joe Lefebvre, swinging 17 times and hitting another homer along with a handful of line drives.
Bonds acknowledged the possibility he could return this weekend.
“It’s not unrealistic, but now it’s just the time of how I recover,” Bonds said.
Union comes to Ponson’s defense
The baseball players’ association filed a grievance claiming the Baltimore Orioles improperly terminated the contract of Sidney Ponson this week and that the pitcher is due the remaining $11 million called for in his deal.
Baltimore said Sept. 1 it would release Ponson and void the remainder of his three-year contract, a move announced a week after he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Ponson cleared waivers, and the termination was effective after Tuesday’s games, according to the grievance.
Scioscia earns another ejection
Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was thrown out of a game for the second consecutive night, getting tossed against host Boston when he came to the defense of ejected hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.
Clearing the bases
San Diego ace Jake Peavy (12-6) will skip his scheduled start on Saturday at Los Angeles, and he probably won’t pitch again for a week. Peavy, who leads the National League with 201 strikeouts, said he felt sharp pain in the back of his right shoulder for his last two starts. … Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton combined to throw a no-hitter in the Jacksonville (Fla.) Suns’ 2-0 victory over the Birmingham Barons in the first game of the Double-A Southern League’s divisional playoffs. … St. Louis’ Matt Morris threw about 45 pitches to batters instead of a regular bullpen session in an effort to escape a recent slump.