Bonds might return in 2005

NOTES

Barry Bonds now says there’s a good chance he could play for the San Francisco Giants this season because his bad knee is doing better.

“Two weeks ago things didn’t look too promising, but the past 10 days my rehab has taken a turn for the better,” he wrote in a new entry on his Web site. “My strength and endurance have increased and my knee is feeling much better. I have been playing catch and in the next few weeks I hope to be in the cage doing some hitting. There is a good possibility that I could be back in September with the team.”

More steroid suspensions

Former major league infielder Luis Ugueto was suspended for 30 games and a young pitcher also was penalized for violating the minor league drug policy.

Ugueto, a former Seattle Mariner now in the Kansas City system, was also suspended in May under the steroids policy.

Reliever Nic Slack of the Milwaukee organization was suspended for 15 games.

Clearing the bases

Carlos Beltran decided he would not have surgery to repair a minimally displaced facial fracture suffered in a outfield collision with Mets teammate Mike Cameron. … Yankees pitcher Kevin Brown is making progress in his rehabilitation program for a back injury and might be able to rejoin the team in September. … Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina took batting practice for the first time since breaking his left hand July 7 and believes he’ll be back in the lineup soon.