Denver — Chuck James spent less than 15 hours on the 25-man roster of the Braves, who optioned the left-hander to Class AAA Richmond on Thursday.

The move wasn't surprising after his woeful start Wednesday, when he came off the disabled list and gave up six runs, five hits and hit three batters in three innings of a 12-6 loss against Colorado at Coors Field.

Yorvit Torrealba hit a three-run homer off him in a six-run third inning.

"It can't hurt nothing," James said of being sent to Richmond. "I need to get back in a groove and figure something out."

He threw just 36 strikes in 69 pitches Wednesday and said he never struggled so much to find a consistent release point — or the strike zone.

James was brought along slowly in spring training, after resting his shoulder all winter to heal a partial rotator-cuff tear diagnosed in October.

He pitched just two Grapefruit League innings and a few simulated games before he was activated from the disabled list Wednesday to replace Mike Hampton, who was placed on the DL.

"All spring and everything, it's just been going so slowly, trying to get back," James said. "It just didn't work out for me."

He said his shoulder felt OK and he hoped he could regain his command soon.

Soriano speaks

Braves manager Bobby Cox called it the "same little elbow thing," but closer Rafael Soriano conceded Thursday that he couldn't pitch right now if he had to.

The Braves put Soriano on the DL before Wednesday's game, and Cox said they would go with a closer-by-committee until he returns.

Cox said they wanted to let Soriano get completely healthy.

"It's better that way," said Soriano, who missed the first two weeks of spring-training games because of soreness in his pitching elbow. He missed most of the 2004-05 seasons with Seattle after ligament-transplant surgery on the elbow.

Manny Acosta and Peter Moylan are candidates for ninth-inning duties until he returns, and lefty Will Ohman could be used depending on matchups.

Campillo gets the call

The Braves purchased the contract of 29-year-old rookie Jorge Campillo from Richmond, where he made one start and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of five-hit ball with no walks and four strikeouts.

The former Mexican league pitcher had a 7.13 ERA in eight games (one start) for Seattle over the past three seasons, his only major-league experience. He was a non-roster spring training invitee and impressed Cox with his command.