Pittsburgh — He stayed off the field as long as he could stand it, but John Smoltz finally scratched the itch of his urge Saturday.

He didn't throw. Not yet. Not unless you count Jennie Finch-style underhanded tosses (without the Finch velocity) from the outfield, or an easy over-handed toss from the warning track to provide a front-row fan with a souvenir ball.

He did run around a lot, got loose, and talked about his progress on the road back from the disabled list for inflammation in the rotator cuff and a biceps tendon in his throwing shoulder.

"So far, so good," Smoltz said of his progress over two weeks. "The inflammation in the shoulder is gone already."

He spent batting practice shagging fly balls in the outfield at PNC Park with teammates. The starter-turned-closer-turned-starter is about to turn closer again, and Smoltz could get clearance to start light throwing as soon as Sunday.

"I'm going to see if I can sneak out there and get a head start," he said, "play a little catch, ease my way back into it. Each day there's progress."

He didn't sneak out and play catch Saturday, because Smoltz is abiding by what team trainers have suggested/demanded — that he wait until inflammation has completely subsided before he cranks things up again.

Smoltz, who turns 42 on Thursday, looked like a kid out in the outfield Saturday, laughing and smiling. He always does when he's chasing fly balls, loping to the gaps and gloving everything that gets near him.

That he didn't look so stressed in recent days, and said his shoulder feels much better, and that he's getting anxious and wants to throw this weekend — these are good signs for the Braves and Smoltz.

The serious tone of concern he had 10-12 days ago is no longer apparent.

The team's pitching leader hopes to be activated well before the All-Star break, perhaps as soon as late May, though he says there's no timetable.

He'll be in the bullpen instead of back in the rotation, because that's what he believes is his best chance to serve without more visits to the DL.

Smoltz said he went 13 days without even picking up a ball since his fateful start at New York on April 27, when he left after four innings because worsening throbbing in his shoulder made it impossible to make effective pitches.

But he didn't want to go much longer without throwing. He said the only soreness he has now is in the trapezius muscle between his shoulder and neck, the same thing that bothered him in spring training.

When he's made "dry throws" recently, duplicating his throwing motion without a ball, Smoltz said the cuff and biceps tendon didn't hurt as they did a week ago.

"Hopefully when I get back it will be pain-free," said Smoltz, who has rarely had that experience lately. "I'm not saying it's going to [stay] pain-free. But I'm not going to worry or be consumed by thinking, 'Is this one pitch going to be the one?'"

Infante at second again

Omar Infante started at second base and hit leadoff Saturday, the second time in three games he's filled those roles instead of Kelly Johnson.

The right-handed hitting Infante started against both lefties the Braves faced since he returned from the DL Thursday.

"May as well — he's looked good," manager Bobby Cox said of Infante, a veteran utility man who had been on the DL recovering from a hand broken in winter ball.

He went 1-for-3 and played smooth defense in his first game back on Thursday, and Infante led off Saturday's game with a double off Pirates lefty Tom Gorzelanny. Then he reached on infield single in the third inning.

"He's going to be a great addition," Cox said of Infante, acquired in a December trade with the Cubs. He plays second and third, shortstop, and center field. "You feel good giving guys a day off with a talent like him available."

The left-handed hitting Johnson started Friday's game against right-hander Ian Snell, and went 0-for-3 with two walks and three strikeouts.

Johnson was hitting .257 with a .328 on-base percentage before Saturday, including a .325 OBP as a leadoff hitter. This after ranking among NL leaders with a .372 leadoff OBP while splitting the leadoff duties in 2007.