San Francisco, CA (My Sportsbook) - San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds underwent arthroscopic debridement surgery on his left knee Tuesday and is expected to be at full strength when spring training begins in February. The 20-minute procedure was a minor arthritis cleanup. Bonds first felt discomfort in the knee on October 4, the day after the Giants concluded their season. He will be placed on a normal three-to-six week rehabilitation program. The six-time MVP led the National League in 2004 with a .362 batting average. He also belted 45 homers, drove in 101 runs and walked a record 232 times. His .812 slugging percentage and .609 on-base percentage were both tops in the majors. On September 17, 2004, Bonds homered off San Diego's Jake Peavy in the third inning at SBC Park for his 700th career blast. He became just the third major league player to reach the milestone, joining Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. Four days later, the Giants announced that Bonds will remain under contract through the 2006 season. He was under contract for next season, but had a vesting option for 2006 based on plate appearances. The club decided not to wait and guaranteed Bonds' pact for 2006, dropping its option to void the final year of his deal.
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