SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The right knee. That's the first thing Giants trainer Stan Conte looked at when Barry Bonds walked down the concrete steps to the clubhouse on Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium.

Was he in pain? Is everything healing nicely? How long will he rehab?

It had been 10 days since Conte had evaluated Bonds in person -- this following arthroscopic surgery to clean a torn meniscus and subsequent re-suturing after complications.

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Bonds admitted during Tuesday's press conference he suffered a "little setback" in his rehab and wasn't sure if he'll be ready for Opening Day on April 5. "Anything can happen," he said. "My knee could not get healthy and I could miss the whole season."

There was optimism, however, from a medical standpoint after Conte examined the knee. Unless there are further problems, the Giants are hopeful Bonds will be ready for the regular season.

Conte called the re-suturing a "hiccup" instead of a big problem.

"The knee looked pretty good," the trainer said. "There was a little bit of swelling, but not much. He hasn't worked out the past two weeks because of the suture thing and he has a little weakness in his leg."

Conte said Bonds will begin leg strengthening exercises Wednesday morning and that the Giants will report only significant changes in the player's rehab, either positively or negatively.

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Usually, Bonds requires only about two weeks of baseball activity to be ready for the regular season. "This spring, we'll see how the knee moves, how much strength he has, how he walks," said Conte. "We'll discuss what the plan will be for the next couple of days. I have six weeks to get him ready for the season. Under normal circumstances, that's enough time."

Of course, when you're dealing with a player of Bonds' stature and importance to the club, few things are "normal circumstances."

During the regular season, Conte says Bonds and his outfield cohorts -- Marquis Grissom and Moises Alou -- must get occasional days off to keep their legs fresh.

"Barry will always tell us how he feels -- that's what he's done the last 10-15 years," said Conte. "The key will be protecting Barry from himself, the same problems we'll have with Grissom and Moises. Rest is key for this outfield because they all want to play every day. We'll try to find a good balance."

Conte also indicated he's always concerned about Bonds' chronic back problems, which could flare up at any time.