Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — John Smoltz was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start Friday because of shoulder soreness. As a result, hand wringing commenced across Braves Nation.

The 40-year-old pitcher insisted the situation was "no big deal" and that he would've pitched if it had been a regular-season game.

Manager Bobby Cox conceded there is at least a possibility Smoltz could begin the season on the disabled list, though he was optimistic that could be avoided.

"He'll be fine," Cox said after the Braves' 6-4 loss against Cleveland. "He'll be ready."

The consensus among team officials and Smoltz was this was merely the type of soreness that an aging pitcher can expect occasionally and not a serious injury that might threaten his season or require surgery.

Smoltz said it was a knot in the trapezius muscle in his right shoulder/neck area, rather than pain or discomfort in the ball or back of the shoulder, where rotator cuff or labrum injuries occur.

"So many people the last few years have just been waiting to say, 'This is it,' " Smoltz said, referring to those who have acted as though each nagging injury he has had could signal the end for the man who has had four elbow surgeries.

"I will let everyone know when it's it," Smoltz said. "That's not a problem."

And this, he said, was not "it."

He said he had tightness near his neck during his Wednesday side session, which he cut short. He said he wanted to wait until Friday morning before making a decision on his start against Cleveland, but that Cox and the team medical staff told him upon arrival that it wasn't worth the risk.

"He wants to have a strong year and make it through the whole season," Cox said. "So I don't see any reason to push him right now."

Smoltz said he didn't fight the decision like he might have in the past, when he has been stubborn and pitched through more pain than he should have.

"It's a long season," he said, "and it's more important for me to be able to help the team over the long haul than in one game."

Jeff Bennett filled in Friday and pitched three scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Bennett said he was told Thursday that he was going to start.

If Smoltz is placed on the disabled list to begin the season, the starting date of his 15-day DL assignment could be backdated for nine days into spring training.

With the Braves having a scheduled day off April 1 after the second game of the season, they could skip a starter and not need a fifth starter until April 6, when Smoltz could be back.

He has led the Braves with 30 wins and 437 2/3 innings over the past two seasons and led the majors in that period with 50 quality starts (six innings or more with three earned runs or fewer).

The right-hander said his soreness is in the same area he injured when he slipped making a warmup pitch May 29 at Milwaukee, but not nearly as severe.

He pitched after the injury last summer, but ended up on the DL in July when the inflammation wouldn't subside without an injection and rest. It was Smoltz's only stint on the DL in three seasons since he returned to his preferred starting role after a stint as the team's closer.

Smoltz pitched 4 2/3 innings in one Grapefruit League game this spring after spending the first two weeks of the exhibition schedule pitching in simulated-game conditions against mostly Braves minor-league hitters.