Bonds tested for drugs- a little late huh?

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Bonds tested for first time this seasonESPN.com news services

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Barry Bonds, along with several teammates from the San Francisco Giants, was tested for performance-enhancing drugs Wednesday, according to ESPN's Pedro Gomez.

Bonds was one of about 10 Giants required to give a urine specimen to a Major League Baseball laboratory technician, Gomez reported. The technician arrived unannounced at SBC Park. Giants who were tested included shortstop Omar Vizquel and pitchers Jason Christiansen, Kirk Rueter and Tyler Walker.

It was Bonds' first test of the season. Like all major league players under the new steroids policy, Bonds is eligible to be tested between one and five times per year. Even though Bonds has been on the disabled list all season, players on the DL are eligible to be tested.

This marked the second time this season the Giants have been tested, the other coming in spring training.

Bonds resumed rehabilitation exercises on his troublesome right knee Sunday after being cleared by several doctors to increase his activity level.

The slugger had an IV removed last week but is still taking oral antibiotics to fight an infection in the knee. He has undergone three arthroscopic operations since Jan. 31 and hasn't played all season.

"We're really upbeat about this whole thing," Giants trainer Stan Conte said Sunday night. "It is encouraging because after the second surgery we weren't sure why he wasn't progressing."

The seven-time NL MVP still hopes to return this season, but it almost certainly will be sometime in July after the All-Star break. He said in spring training he could miss half the season or even the entire year.

Bonds has 703 career home runs, 11 behind Babe Ruth and 52 from tying Hank Aaron's career record. Bonds batted .362 last season with 45 homers and 101 RBI and walked a major league-record 232 times en route to his record seventh MVP award.