San Francisco Giants: Ray Durham is injured and it's making him bored.

"I'm not used to sitting,'' he said. "I'm getting antsy.''

It's a good thing for him, and the Giants, that his sprained right ankle is recovering quickly -- faster than trainer Stan Conte predicted.

On Sunday, the injured second baseman took live batting practice for the first time since getting hurt and also fielded grounders. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 11.

"I'm way ahead of schedule,'' said Durham, also the team's leadoff hitter. "This is my third day on the field. If you'd told me Monday I'd be on the field I would have told you 'No way!'''

Durham is expected to miss three-to-four weeks. While he is improving, Conte warned that it still could be a while.

"The last little bit is the hardest part,'' Conte said. "He's doing a lot better and it's going faster than we thought.''

Durham has a .425 on-base percentage and was hitting .309 with three home runs, five RBI and five steals.

Durham was hurt during a loss to Atlanta when he doubled off the center-field wall leading off the fifth, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit. His ankle hit the base and he lay on the ground in pain for several minutes before being helped off the field.

Neifi Perez is playing in his place and Marquis Grissom has been leading off.

Durham had been waiting to be a regular player again after being relegated to a designated hitter role for Oakland during the second half of last season after a midseason trade between the Athletics and Chicago White Sox.

"It's driving me nuts seeing them play without me,'' Durham said. "There is a fine line (rehabbing). There's pain. I've had the luxury of knowing my body. I know pain and I know soreness.''

Reserve outfielder Marvin Benard, also on the DL, took batting practice four days after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, which has been swollen.

"I'm encouraged,'' Benard said.

Jensen demoted: Right-hander Ryan Jensen, who won 13 games for the Giants last season, was demoted to Triple-A Fresno on Sunday amid sharply differing opinions on his arm strength.

The Giants, who begin a seven-game road trip at Arizona on Monday, also assigned outfielder Jason Ellison to Fresno.

San Francisco bolstered its bullpen for the trip, recalling left-hander Chad Zerbe and purchasing the contract of veteran right-hander Manny Aybar from Fresno.

Jensen began the season as the Giants' No. 4 starter following his successful rookie campaign, but he spent nearly a month on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his lower back.

Jensen has pitched in relief since his return, but Giants manager Felipe Alou doesn't think Jensen is ready for the majors.

"We don't see the velocity, the arm speed, so we sent him back to start and be the good starting pitcher that he is,'' Alou said. "I haven't seen the real Jensen yet. You don't win 13 games throwing the way he is. ... The way Jensen is pitching right now, he's not ready to go every day.''

Former radio announcer Thompson dies: Bill Thompson, one of the beloved radio announcers for the San Francisco Giants, has died. He was 79.

Thompson died Saturday because of complications from a recent operation, the team said Sunday. Thompson called Giants games from 1965-75, working alongside Lon Simmons and Russ Hodges.

"Bill Thompson was a guy who was very much in the middle of the organization,'' Giants vice president Larry Baer said. "He was very much a part of the personality of the Giants. He's a guy who all of us who grew up with the Giants remember vividly. He loved the Giants.''

Though Thompson's health had been "up and down'' in recent years, according to Baer, he appeared healthy and happy while on a cruise with other members of the organization during the offseason.

No funeral is planned for Thompson, but a memorial service is in the works, the team said.

Cleveland Indians: The Indians purchased the contract of right-hander Jason Phillips from Triple-A Buffalo and designated right-hander Jerrod Riggan for assignment Sunday.

Phillips went 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA at Buffalo. Signed by Cleveland as a minor-league free agent in 2001, Phillips went 1-3 with a 4.97 ERA in eight games with the Indians in 2002. He had right elbow surgery in September.

Riggan, acquired in the deal that sent All-Star Roberto Alomar to the Mets two years ago, was hit hard in two outings with Cleveland this season. He gave up seven hits and four runs in four innings after being recalled Tuesday from Buffalo.

Riggan went 2-1 with a 7.64 ERA in 29 games, all in relief, last season with the Indians. He allowed 53 hits in 33 innings.