For all that has gone perfectly for Chipper Jones this season — the .420 average and the recent 400th career home run — an old problem knocked him off course Sunday.

A small tear in his right quadriceps forced him out of the lineup Sunday, and he might be doing well to get back late in the upcoming Chicago series.

"I did swing the bat today and it felt fine," Jones said. "But a simple quad stretch is painful, so running is out of the question, at least for the next couple days."

Jones injured his quadriceps coming out of the batter's box grounding out in the seventh inning Saturday night against the Phillies. He aggravated an injury he's felt to some degree since April 9, when he tweaked the quadriceps in the cold weather of Colorado.

Jones had missed four games this season with injuries — three for back spasms and one for a groin strain — but never more than two games in a row. That could be in jeopardy now, even with the off day today.

"Whenever you've got a small tear and there's bleeding in there, it is what it is," Jones said. "It's sore. I asked Doc [Braves physician Marvin Royster] the timetable and he said, 'You're definitely not playing [Sunday], then there's the off day. I'd think you could probably miss a day or two in Chicago and see how it feels.'"

The off day Monday comes at a good time for Jones. But opening a four-city road trip the day after that is not so good for the Braves, a team that is 7-21 on the road.

The Braves are 0-6 without Jones in the lineup. (He got a day off on Wednesday simply to rest.)

For the first two months of the season, the 36-year-old Jones had managed to avoid the injuries that plagued him the last few years — limiting him to 109 games in 2005, 110 in 2006 and 134 games last season. But now he joins the long list of the injured Braves.

"Nothing surprises me in this clubhouse anymore," Jones said. "It's another bad blow."

Soriano rests

The Braves are hoping a couple of days' rest will be enough to get Rafael Soriano ready to throw again. Soriano, who missed the first two months of the season with elbow tendinitis, warmed up to pitch the ninth inning Friday night. But when the call was made to the bullpen to see if he was ready, he'd told bullpen coach Eddie Perez he couldn't pitch.

"I won't use him today," manager Bobby Cox said before Sunday's game. "Then there will be the off day. And we'll see when we open up with Chicago."

Notable

Brian McCann was out of the lineup Sunday due to the 93-degree heat, a chronically gimpy ankle and a knee that he jammed Friday night on the basepaths. McCann said the knee wasn't serious and he pinch hit Sunday. ...

Mark Kotsay will not come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Tuesday — a bulging disc in his back is taking its time in healing. But he will travel with the team and continue his treatment and rehabilitation with the team. ...

Mike Gonzalez began the AAA portion of his rehab assignment and pitched one inning Sunday in Richmond. He gave up a double and a run-scoring single to the first two hitters he faced, then retired the side on two strikeouts and a flyout. Gonzalez is gearing up to return to the Braves within a week or so, possibly, after a year out following elbow surgery.