The miracle Peter Moylan was hoping for took a serious — and perhaps final — blow Saturday. The side-arming Australian, who had one of the top rookie seasons in baseball last year, had to stop a bullpen session after only seven pitches.

He'll have his elbow examined by team doctors Sunday morning but seemed ready to face the prospect that season-ending surgery is coming.

"I can usually handle pain, but when that pain is strong enough to stop you from throwing, that's when you know it's probably time to have a closer look at it," said Moylan, who had planned to throw 15 pitches.

After he threw off a mound for the first time since injuring his elbow April 11, Moylan said he also felt soreness in his groin, back, ankle and knee. But the biggest concern was the stiffness in his elbow, which doctors have told him has a bone spur lodged in the ligament.

To repair it, Moylan would need ligament-replacement surgery, which requires 12-18 months of recovery time. Moylan had felt new hope after playing catch three days this week, but off a mound, it was a different feeling, and while throwing at only 50 percent effort.

"The elbow wasn't loosening up [like] I wanted it to, so I just decided to stop, see how it is in the morning," Moylan said. "I'll wait until I hear it officially from someone who knows what they're talking about before I decide to take the next step."

Moylan had earned a chance to fill in as closer with Rafael Soriano on the disabled list. He got his first save of the season, throwing 97 mph, before waking up the next day with a throbbing elbow.

"It would be a minor miracle if I can actually come back," Moylan said. "Obviously I wanted to give it every chance. There's nothing that I like more than being out on the mound. Last year was unbelievable and the start of this year was unbelievable, and I just spent the last two weeks not being with the team on the road. It really makes you appreciate the game and having that competitive release, rather than just sitting there."

Smoltz's 3,000th honored

John Smoltz was honored at the end of the third inning Saturday for his 3,000th strikeout. He was presented a framed jersey with "3,000" on the back by manager Bobby Cox, commemorating the night when Smoltz became the 16th major-league pitcher to reach that mark. He got there April 22 with 10 strikeouts against the Nationals.

Smoltz is on the disabled list, resting an inflamed right shoulder, and plotting a return from the rotation back to the bullpen in several weeks.

Injury updates

Soriano said his elbow was "not bad" during a bullpen session Friday, though not pain-free. The Braves haven't determined when he'll throw his next bullpen and seem to be playing it fairly cautious with him. Soriano threw 25 pitches, mixing sliders with his fastball. ... Infielder Omar Infante went 2-for-6 each of the past two days in extended spring training and is ready to head to Class AAA Richmond for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, as he continues his comeback from a broken hand. ... Right-hander Anthony Lerew continues his comeback from elbow ligament-replacement surgery. He threw 71 pitches in a bullpen session Friday, also in extended spring training. He's aiming at a late July return to Richmond.