Anderson Refuses to Testify

Barry Bonds’ personal trainer refused to testify Thursday to the federal grand jury investigating the San Francisco Giants outfielder for perjury.

Greg Anderson, who served three months in prison after pleading guilty last year for his role in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid scandal, could be sent back to prison if found in contempt of court for refusing to testify.

A hearing will be held next Wednesday, and Judge William Alsup said he would rule next week on whether Anderson should be found in contempt.

Anderson’s attorney, Mark Geragos, said his client should not have to testify because he was the victim of an illegal government wiretap that he said resulted in a recording of Anderson saying he provided Bonds with “undetectable� drugs to help him beat baseball’s drug testing program in 2003.

The details of the recording were first reported in October 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained a copy from a confidential news source.

Prosecutor Jeff Nedrow revealed Thursday that his office had obtained a copy of the recording last summer.

Alsup ruled that the recording was “not a wiretap, but a privately-recorded conversation with a witness,� and that there was no legal reason for Anderson not to testify.

Geragos argued that the government had violated the terms of Anderson’s plea bargain by subpoenaing him for the subsequent grand jury proceedings. Alsup rejected the arguments, but Geragos said he would take them up again at next week’s hearing.

The grand jury is investigating whether Bonds perjured himself when he testified to the original BALCO grand jury in December 2003 that he never knowingly used steroids or other banned performance enhancing drugs.

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Right fielder Alex Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays was hospitalized and expected to remain overnight to receive treatment on a bad infection in his lower left leg.

Rios fouled a ball off his leg during Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Nationals. The area swelled and he sat out Wednesday’s game as a precaution. But the pain in his leg got worse Thursday.

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Oliver Perez, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ opening-day starter, was demoted to triple-A Indianapolis, the club’s latest move to try to turn around the hard-throwing left-hander once viewed as their staff ace.

Perez has struggled with his control, mechanics and velocity for a second consecutive season, going 2-10 with a 6.63 earned-run average.

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The Golden Baseball League announced that former major league outfielder Jose Canseco has signed a one-year, $2,500-a-month contract -- the league maximum.

Canseco, who turns 42 on Sunday, will join the San Diego Surf Dawgs on Monday and play against the Chico Outlaws at Chico.

He returns to organized baseball after a five-year absence. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 2001.

According to Golden League rules, Canseco will be subject to a random drug screening during the season, which ends Aug. 28.

-- Michael Becker