http://0rz.net/6b0p2 SAN FRANCISCO -- A day after Barry Bonds returned to rehabbing his thrice surgically-repaired right knee, the Giants slugger said he was " feeling great" before Tuesday night's game against the Dodgers at SBC Park. "I'm feeling better than I have in a long time," he told MLB.com. " And it's getting better and better every day." Bonds had arthroscopic surgery on May 2 to eradicate a bacterial infection in the injured knee, and after two weeks of taking antibiotics through an IV, which ended May 16, is now on an oral tract. He began working out gingerly again Sunday. "I'm doing the Giants' rehab stuff," he said. "Range of motion, those kind of things. That's all I'm doing now, but I feel good." Bonds added that doctors were monitoring the infection, and that he is scheduled to take another blood test on Friday. Just the sight of Bonds back in uniform made manager Felipe Alou optimistic, the skipper said on Tuesday. Going into the game, the Giants were 12th in the National League in runs scored (188) and 15th in home runs (34), just one homer ahead of dead-last Houston. Bonds led the NL with a .362 average last season, adding 45 homers, 101 RBIs and a Major League-record 232 walks (120 intentional) on the way to his record seventh NL MVP Award. "The news is finally positive," Alou said. "He looks like a baseball player when I see him in uniform. When I saw him in civilians, he was limping. Now, he's got that look on his face. There's more feeling than there was before." Asked if he thought Bonds would play again this season, Alou responded: "Oh, yeah. Barry has said before he'd be back around the (July 11) All-Star break. The All-Star break is still a long way away. About two months. I hope he's back by then. I'll take that." Bonds became alarmed last month because the knee was consistently swelling. He had made little progress in his rehabilitation since March 17 surgery to remove lateral meniscus from the knee, and acknowledged that it "just didn't feel right" as he was trying to rush back during the early weeks of Spring Training with daily batting practice and field sessions at Scottsdale Stadium. He has had the knee drained of fluid at least five times since the March 17 surgery, including twice in recent weeks. The initial surgery on that knee this year was on Jan. 31. On Friday, the Giants moved Bonds to the 60-day disabled list. He is eligible to be reactivated anytime after June 1, but right now Bonds said "it's still way too premature to put a date on it." Told about his manager's optimism, Bonds had a big smile on his face. "I don't know about all that," he said. "All I care about right now is that I'm getting better day-to-day. I'm not sick, you know what I mean? I have my health back. That's a big thing, and that's what matters right now. Let's just get through this period and see what happens. Then we'll take the next step. All I can tell you now is that I'm feeling great." During the first 19 years of his career, Bonds had never missed this much time because of injuries, although in 1999, he played in just 102 games because of a groin problem, right knee inflammation and a left elbow injury. Bonds made it back that year to hit 34 homers and drive in 83 runs. When Bonds is ready, Alou said he didn't believe the 12-time All-Star would again have much trouble returning to his former level of expertise. "I don't really have concerns," Alou said. "If Barry Bonds is healthy, he has the talent. And it's not your average talent. This guy is so talented that even losing all of this time he's still going to be a big factor. The factor of intimidation and the factor of production. "I don't believe that when he comes back they'll throw a fastball down the middle to see if he can bat. They'll probably walk him to see if he can run." --

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