Jupiter, Fla. — Jeff Francoeur escaped serious injury after being struck in the face by a pitch Sunday. However, for a few terrifying moments the Braves right fielder had flashbacks to a career-threatening 2004 beaning in the minor leagues.

"I thought about that, which is why I was so [anxious] right afterward," Francoeur said after returning from a local hospital, where X-rays were negative and he was treated for cuts inside his mouth and lip. "I'm just lucky it didn't mess up my jaw or anything."

The young star from Lilburn crumpled to the dirt Sunday after being hit squarely in the left side of his face by St. Louis right-hander Todd Wellemeyer during the second inning of Atlanta's 3-2 Grapefruit League win.

"Scared the (crap) out of me," said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who hurried out with assistant trainer Jim Lovell to check on Francoeur. "I thought something had to be broken."

Nothing was broken and no teeth were lost, though Francoeur had significant swelling around his mouth and cheek. He was given the option of receiving stitches. He opted against it when doctors said the wounds would only take a few extra days to heal and he'd be able to eat easier without them.

Cox said Francoeur would miss "at least a few games," and he returned to Orlando for a follow-up exam today. The team stayed in Jupiter Sunday for another game against the Cardinals today before an off day in the schedule Tuesday.

Francoeur said he would probably play Wednesday or Thursday.

"Any time someone gets hit in the face it's scary," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "But it's important for him to get right back in there. Because you've always got a a little doubt in back of your mind any time something like that happens. Got to get right back in there."

Francoeur was fortunate Wellemeyer's pitch hit him on the lower left cheek and not the right side of his face, where he has a titanium plate below his eye from an ugly incident July 8, 2004.

Playing for Class A Myrtle Beach, he squared to bunt and was hit below his eye, fracturing the orbital bone and causing other damage to the eye socket. He spent five weeks on the disabled list.

When he was hit and collapsed Sunday, Cox and other Braves immediately worried Francoeur had been hit in the same place. "You didn't know if it dislodged one of the plates or something," Cox said.

Braves catcher Brian McCann, a teammate of Francoeur's at Myrtle Beach, also thought of the 2004 incident when his friend fell to the ground Sunday.

"We got lucky it didn't hit the plates in his face," McCann said. "Any time you get hit in the face, you're worried. Once you found out it wasn't his eye, you can deal with that.

"The last time it was 96 [miles-per-hour] in his eye. This time it was a slider. Huge difference."

Actually, it was a change-up, Wellemeyer said. The Braves had all believed it was a "backup" slider that had late movement toward the right-handed hitters, but the Cardinals pitcher said otherwise.

All agreed right away it was an unfortunate accident, not intentional.

Francoeur, 24, has started every Braves regular-season game the past two years. He has a .280 career average with 62 homers and 253 RBIs in 394 games since reaching the majors in July 2005, including 48 homers and 208 RBIs over the past two seasons.

He leads the majors with 45 outfield assists since his debut, and won his first Gold Glove in 2007.

"You look at the guys in the lineup, and he's right at the top of the list in terms of guys you just can't afford to have out any significant time," pitcher Tom Glavine said. "We'll keep our fingers crossed."

Francoeur has hit .314 with four doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in 35 at-bats this spring.