Denver — He pitched a mere two innings in Grapefruit League play this spring, and pitched a few other times in intrasquad or minor-league exhibition games.

With that foundation, Chuck James will face the Colorado Rockies Wednesday at Coors Field. In the cold. And with a cold. Yes, he's been sick this week.

Does he think he's ready?

"Without a doubt," James said Tuesday in a raspy voice, the remnants of his congestion clearly audible. "I mean, I've just pitched intrasquad on the back fields and stuff like that. I threw a few games. But it feels good."

The "it" he referred to was his left shoulder. He was diagnosed with a partial rotator-cuff tear just after the 2007 season, which is why he was told to rest his arm all winter and didn't pitch in a spring game until mid-March.

"I haven't had a problem with it all spring," James said. "I don't see why it should change here, but this is a good test for it. It's pretty cold out here."

The Braves are activating James from the disabled list to start in place of Mike Hampton, who landed on the DL after straining a pectoral muscle in his chest warming up for a start on April 2.

James has won 11 games in each of his two seasons in the majors, but also had 10 losses and 32 homers allowed in 161 1/3 innings last season. Over his last nine starts he had a 6.02 ERA and 15 homers surrendered in 44 2/3 innings.

The left-hander had a DL stint in the middle of that stretch for what was called a "tired arm." A postseason MRI revealed the cuff tear.

James has an 8.71 ERA in two starts at Coors Field, where he has allowed 10 runs and three homers in 10 1/3 innings.

Soriano's sore elbow tests bullpen depth

Closer Rafael Soriano had some elbow soreness after pitching Saturday and Sunday against the Mets, which is why manager Bobby Cox decided to rest the right-hander Monday and put Manny Acosta in the closer role, if needed.

"A tiny bit," Cox said of Soriano's elbow soreness. "I'm just not taking any chances."

With Soriano unavailable and Acosta held back in case needed in the ninth inning, Cox turned to rookie Blaine Boyer to pitch the eighth.

The hard-throwing Boyer hung a curveball that Troy Tulowitzki drove to the gap for a double, then struck out Todd Helton before giving up a first-pitch homer to Matt Holliday on a fasetball left over the middle of the plate.

"All of the runs I've given up have come off two swings of the bat, which is frustrating because I've never been a home-run guy," said Boyer, whose 7.94 ERA reflects five earned runs yielded on the Holliday homer and a three-run homer by Pittsburgh's Xavier Nady. Both homers decided games.

"I'm not going to make another mistake like I made to Holliday or Nady from here on out. Lesson learned."