Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — If his pitching elbow felt as good as Rafael Soriano said it felt Tuesday, the Braves can breath a collective sigh of relief.

The closer threw a bullpen without pain or discomfort and said he doesn't need any more mound tests — he wants to make his Grapefruit League debut as soon as Thursday.

"I've got to have some innings [to get ready] for the season," said Soriano, who has been sidelined for two weeks, first with a stomach virus and then soreness in the back of his arm just above the elbow.

"It was a normal bullpen for me," said Soriano, who threw sliders this time and not just fastballs, the first time he's thrown the slider off the mound since his elbow got sore. "I threw all my pitches. It was good today."

Most other Braves relievers have already made four or five Grapefruit League appearances and thrown batting practice several times before that. Soriano hasn't faced hitters since the first week of camp.

The Braves signed him to a two-year, $9 million contract in January, which includes a $2.4 million salary this season and $6.1 million in 2009, which would have been his first year of free agency. He also got a $500,000 signing bonus.

Soriano said he still needed to talk to pitching coach Roger McDowell on Tuesday night, but the pitcher wants a game appearance in a couple of days, rather than another bullpen session.

Opening day is in 18 days (March 30), but Soriano said that's enough time for him to get ready for the season.

"I don't need to throw, like, 20 innings," he said. "Last year I threw eight or nine innings — that was it."

The Dominican right-hander threw nine innings in nine Grapefruit League games in 2007 after getting a late start because of problems with his visa.

When the season began, Soriano made five hitless appearances in the first seven days, then got rocked for three runs twice in his next three appearances.

He bounced back with a stretch in which he limited opponents to an .074 average and one run in 21 1/3 innings over the next seven weeks before giving up a flurry of homers in a five-week stretch at midseason.

He finished the season doing solid work as closer after the Braves released Bob Wickman in late August. Soriano had career highs of 71 appearances, 72 innings and 70 strikeouts with 15 walks, although he also gave up 15 homers.

Hampton says he's OK after testing groin

Mike Hampton said he's ready to pitch after feeling no pain when he woke Tuesday, a day after testing his right groin with a bullpen session and wind sprints.

The left-hander strained the groin Friday in his second start.

Because Hampton felt a twinge late in the 10-minute bullpen session Monday, he and the Braves agreed he should throw in simulated-game conditions Thursday instead of making his regular turn in the rotation in the Grapefruit League game against Detroit. Buddy Carlyle will start that game instead of Hampton.

Hampton, 35, has missed 2-1/2 seasons recovering from elbow injuries that required separate surgeries 16 months apart.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last pitcher age 35 or older who won more than 10 games after being sidelined more than two years was Schoolboy Rowe, who went 11-4 for the 1946 Phillies after missing two seasons serving in the Navy during World War II.

Union head Fehr meets with players, as usual

Players Association chief Donald Fehr met for nearly two hours with Braves players in a closed-door meeting Tuesday afternoon, an annual meeting that lasted a little longer than usual this year.

Afterward Fehr came through the dugout, where Braves manager Bobby Cox was sitting with reporters.

Cox reached out a hand, smiled and said, "Hi, I'm Bobby Cox."

Fehr chuckled as he shook his hand. "I know who you are," Fehr said.