Bonds says recovery is slow going

Bonds has 703 career homers

San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds says his recovery from knee surgery is not going as quickly as he had hoped.

The 40-year-old made a shock return to training last month just four weeks after an operation to treat arthritis.

But he now says he is still several weeks away from full fitness and may be limited to a part-time role for the first month of the regular season.

"I just don't have the strength that I need in my upper leg, the quadriceps and hamstring," said Bonds.

"I can run, but I feel like if I push it too far I'm going to go backwards. And I don't want to go backwards.

"I haven't had any swelling in the knee. I haven't had any soreness. It's just this muscle. I have to get this muscle strong."

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Bonds added that trainer Stan Conte thought he could still be three to four weeks away from full strength.

If that is the case, Bonds would miss most or all of the Giants' spring training games and would not be fully fit for the start of the regular season.

"If I can get in the line-up by Opening Day (5 April), I'll take my spring training month in April," Bonds said.

"I can do it even if I don't play an inning this spring.

"They might have to pull me out of the game early. I might have to play one day and take off the next day. That way, May through October will actually be my season."