updated 12:29 p.m. ET April 5, 2006

SAN DIEGO - A fan tossed a syringe near Barry Bonds as he came off the field in between innings on Monday at Petco Park, and the San Francisco Giants slugger said he picked it up in his glove and carried it off the field.

The syringe apparently did not have a needle.

“I just put it off the field so no one would get hurt,” said Bonds, who is under investigation by baseball for alleged steroid use.

The syringe toss occurred after the bottom of the eighth inning of the San Diego Padres’ 6-1 win over the Giants.

“If that’s what they want to do, embarrass themselves, then that’s on them,” Bonds said. “That has nothing to do with me at all.”

According to the book “Game of Shadows,” written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, Bonds used a vast array of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids and human growth hormone, for at least five seasons beginning in 1998. According to the book, Bonds used several substances in various forms, including by injecting himself with a syringe and taking injections from his personal trainer.

Bonds, who has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, was booed often by the sellout crowd of 43,767 on Monday.

“I don’t judge them,” Bonds said. “I have to concentrate on baseball. I leave that up to you guys to make those statements in the paper.”

Richard Andersen, the Padres executive in charge of Petco Park, didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

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