ST. LOUIS — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig wants to keep players on drug suspensions from going to the minor leagues before they return.

Manny Ramirez drew sellout crowds last month in the minors when he played two games at Triple-A Albuquerque and three at Class-A Inland Empire on his rehabilitation assignment before his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 3.

"I believe that should be changed," Selig said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "Their logic was OK — look, guys get hurt, they can go out on rehab, and so and so forth. But I think that's something we need to really change in the next labor negotiation."

The current rules are in place through December 2011. Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, said management will not ask for a rules change before then.

"I'll let them work that out. I don't want to do our negotiating here," Selig said. "But it's 50 games and then go do what you got to do to get back into (shape)."

The Dodgers outfielder was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by obtaining a prescription for a banned female fertility drug.

"We will respond appropriately to any bargaining proposals advanced by the commissioner," said union general counsel Michael Weiner, who has been designated to succeed Donald Fehr as players' association head.

Weiner said the current rules were in place "to make certain that the penalty a player actually serves does not exceed the negotiated penalty."

"A player suspended for 50 games should be able to return to play after the 50 games are served," he said.