Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Javy Lopez arrived at the ballpark at 7 a.m. Sunday, still dark out. He did his early hitting in the batting tunnel and early catch-and-throw work on a dew-covered field.

This has been his routine all spring.

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The Braves signed Javy Lopez, 37, to a minor-league contract in December with a $750,000 salary if he makes the team. He was out of baseball last year after being released by Colorado in spring training.

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Now it was 9 a.m., and the 37-year-old catcher drank a cup of coffee at his locker, a respite before returning to the field with the Braves for batting practice prior to their exhibition game with St. Louis.

Lopez hit a two-run homer in his first Grapefruit League at-bat on Feb. 29. But he's 1-for-12 with one RBI since, hitting .154 for the spring. He conceded that he's pressing.

"I just need to slow down mentally," he said. "It's tough to do because in the back of my mind I know I'm not on the team yet, and because of that I'm probably a little too anxious — trying to prove myself, trying to make the team in one day, and that's not how it works."

It ain't easy being an aging former All-Star attempting a comeback as a non-roster invitee. He's competing for the backup catching job against a trio that includes two players 11 and 14 years younger.

The Braves signed Lopez to a minor-league contract in December with a $750,000 salary if he makes the team out of spring training. He's hardly assured of a job, facing competition from journeyman Corky Miller, rookie defensive standout Clint Sammons, 22, and Brayan Pena, 26.

"He's a fighter, man," said Pena, who has worked alongside Lopez in the early mornings. "He's here early before everybody else, every day. He's a leader; he leads us. He gives me tips on catching, hitting and major league baseball in general. That's something I appreciate."

Yeah, but can he still play? He hit 43 homers in his last season with the Braves in 2003, but Lopez's career has been in decline since 2005 and he was out of baseball last year after being released by Colorado in spring training.

"I had the year off last year, now I'm coming [back] to stay," Lopez said. "Baseball has been a big part of my life, and I want to be in it. There's no reason to [retire]. I always said, the day I quite baseball is the day my body won't allow me to play.

"Long as I've still got the power, the agility, this is what I do. It's been my life."

He impressed the Braves with the determination he showed in winter workouts with bench coach Chino Cadahia. General manager Frank Wren decided it was a no-risk deal for the Braves, with potential rewards if Lopez still had thunder in his bat and adequate defensive skills.

So, Bobby Cox, what do you think of Lopez's performance so far this spring?

"Alright, for not playing all year long," the Braves manager said, then smiled and added, "He did great that first day. We're testing him. We haven't made up our minds, at all."

A few moments later, Cox was asked again about Lopez.

"Alright," he answered. "Nothing great yet, but alright."

In case you didn't catch the clues, it's premature to pencil in Handsome Javy for a Braves homecoming at Turner Field. The Braves are still considering all their options, and might even consider options outside the organization.

Cox has always liked to have a "catch-and-throw" defensive-minded catcher as his backup. Lopez has always been known for his bat. But bullpen coach Eddie Perez, one of those former Braves defensive-minded backup catchers, said Lopez has worked hard to improve his defense.

As a defensive catcher, he's not as good as Sammons, maybe a tad below Miller, probably no better than Pena.

But if Lopez can prove he's still got pop in his bat, if he's even close to the hitter who produced 213 homers for Atlanta in 10 seasons from 1994 to 2003, he's got a good chance to win a job. The Braves would like to have that power available for pinch-hitting in big situations.

Cox hasn't used his backup catcher to pinch-hit often in the past, because the player usually wasn't much of an offensive threat. With Lopez, that might not be the case.

Left fielder Matt Diaz has caught in instructional league and could serve as an emergency late-innings replacement if starting catcher Brian McCann got hurt after Lopez pinch-hit in a game. But first, the Braves have to decide if Lopez is still a slugger and a good fit for the job description.