SAN DIEGO -- Brian Giles' recovery from a knee injury is behind schedule, and his days with the Padres could be numbered. But the veteran outfielder isn't focusing on his future other than trying to return to the field.

Though they have already shed nearly $30 million from their payroll this season, the Padres are still trying to save money. General manager Kevin Towers also wants to more closely evaluate several young outfield prospects.

That's why the Padres hope Giles -- who is hitting .191 with two homers and 23 RBIs -- can heat up before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline so they can perhaps dump some of his $9 million salary on a contending team. Another option would be releasing him. In an interview last week on 1090 AM, Towers said, referring to the 38-year-old Giles, "The cord could be cut."

Neither possibility would surprise Giles.

"For me personally, the team's changed so many different times this year," Giles said. "I don't know if anybody here really knows everybody's first name, to be honest with you. … I don't care. I can't control those thoughts and what they're thinking. I want to get healthy and play and have fun. That's what I do. I have fun playing baseball. I don't need to look and dissect what they're thinking and what they want to do. I just know I've done too much in this game to worry about what the people up front say or speculate."

Sidelined by the same injury that forced him to miss 34 games in 2007 and later led to microfracture knee surgery, Giles said the best-case scenario for his return is after the All-Star break. Giles, who's on the disabled list retroactive to June 19, is unable to perform any baseball activities.

"It's the exact same," Giles said. "It just got worse basically to where I had the same symptoms I did in 2007. I was hoping (to come off the DL) right after 15 days, but we're going to push it back a little bit."

Though he's in the final year of his contract, Giles wants to play next season. He's not sure with which team, but he doesn't intend to retire.

"I'll know when it's time to shut it down," Giles said.

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Peavy could miss season

Towers said there's a chance that ace Jake Peavy won't pitch again this season. But that depends on how Peavy's strained right ankle tendon feels when it's next examined by team doctors in 10-to-14 days.

If Peavy's return were further delayed, Towers said, he would need more time to return to pitching shape, leaving him almost back at square one. Of course, Towers added, Peavy could be fine in two weeks and start a rehab assignment, meaning he might return in as little as five weeks.

"I guess there's always a chance," Towers said. "He comes back and he's still in pain. Our hope is that's not the case. The last thing you want to do is start throwing and the ankle bothers you and you do something to your arm. We' ll know more probably in a month."

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Et cetera

The Padres announced that Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which will mark OF Manny Ramirez's return from a 50-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs, is sold out. Saturday's game, which was moved up to 1:10 p.m. to accommodate a national TV audience, has approximately 8,000 tickets remaining. … 1B Adrian Gonzalez walked a major league-high 32 times in June. … Part owner Troy Aikman will throw out the first pitch for Thursday's game. … RHP Mike Ekstrom will represent the Padres' Portland affiliate at the Triple-A All-Star game.