01:00 AM EST on Saturday, March 18, 2006

Barry Bonds gave his legs their stiffest in-game test of the spring, scoring from first on a double and running after balls in the outfield during the San Francisco Giants' 7-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs yesterday.

Bonds, who played only 14 games last season after three operations on his right knee, played his fifth game of the spring and third in left field. He played five innings in the field, matching his longest stint of the spring and giving him 11 innings in the field.

His legs hadn't been tested much so far in exhibition games, as he homered in three of his first nine at-bats, moved station-to-station on the bases and had only one ball hit his way in left field before yesterday.

"He had to do a couple of things he hadn't done all spring -- score from first base, go in the gap," Giants manager Felipe Alou said.

Bonds said only that his legs felt "good" before leaving Scottsdale Stadium after the game. Alou said he would give his star slugger the day off today and start him in left field again tomorrow against Milwaukee. Bonds is scheduled for four plate appearances.

ROUNDUP MATSUI INJURED: Mets second baseman Kaz Matsui is expected to miss opening day after injuring his right knee while sliding in the first inning of Thursday night's 6-5 win over Atlanta. He came up gimpy after hustling into second base, and took himself out the next inning. Matsui will not take part in any baseball activities for three weeks, the Mets said yesterday. He'll be re-evaluated after that.

THOMAS BACK IN ACTION: Oakland slugger Frank Thomas, still recovering from an ankle injury, is scheduled to hit in a minor-league game today. Thomas will face live pitching for the first time since last July, when doctors found a second broken bone in his left ankle. "I'll finally get some real work in," Thomas said yesterday. "It will be great to see live pitching for a change." Thomas will get at least five at-bats and his baserunning will be limited to jogging down to first base.

AYALA NEEDS SURGERY: Washington reliever Luis Ayala, who faced only one batter in his final appearance in the World Baseball Classic, will have reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and is expected to miss the season. Ayala, Washington's primary setup man for All-Star closer Chad Cordero last year, was examined yesterday morning in Los Angeles by Dr. Lewis Yocum. An MRI showed that Ayala has a sprained ligament in his right elbow, and Yocum recommended that the player have surgery. The operation is expected to take place within two weeks.