Phoenix — With Rafael Soriano's balky elbow raising concerns about his status for next season, the Braves are certainly grateful to have Mike Gonzalez> back.

Not just back, but back in dominant form — and with an unusual, swaying motion added to his delivery that further accentuates his intense mound demeanor.

"He's just about where he used to be," manager Bobby Cox said of the left-handed reliever, who returned in June following 12 months of rehab for ligament-transplant elbow surgery, also known as "Tommy John" surgery.

Gonzalez has converted all five of his save opportunities and had a 2.45 ERA and .203 opponents average in 18 appearances before Sunday. Those stats don't accurately convey his recent performances.

He allowed three hits and two runs in his second game off the DL. In 16 appearances since then, "Gonzo" had a 1.65 ERA and .186 opponents' average while allowing 11 hits and three walks with 19 strikeouts in 16 innings.

"I'm getting to the point where everything feels good," said the former Pittsburgh closer. "It was taking me a while to get my rhythm going and things like that."

All three walks came in a July 29 game against St. Louis. Gonzalez has 20 strikeouts with no walks in his other 17 games.

"I'm having to work on hitting my spots and be more around the strike zone, which I probably wouldn't have done if I had not had Tommy John," he said. "I'm definitely upbeat about that and excited than when my velocity does come back to 100 percent, I'll be able to pitch with that location."

He's not throwing fastballs in the 94-97 mph range like he did in 2006, when Gonzalez converted 24 of 24 saves and totaled 64 strikeouts (with 31 walks) in 54 innings for Pittsburgh. But he's in the low 90s on the radar gun.

"I don't have the velocity I had before yet, and it's going to take a few more months," he said. "But I definitely feel better with my location. My bases on balls have been much [lower] then before, so I'm excited about that.

"I do think it's made me a more mature pitcher, if anything."

Remarkably, it's been more than four years since Gonzalez blew a save. That was his rookie year, on June 25, 2004, at Cincinnati.

In 174 appearances since (before Sunday), he converted 35 of 35 saves and posted a 2.15 ERA and .210 opponents' average in 171-1/3 innings, with 200 strikeouts, 75 walks and 131 hits allowed.

Gonzalez, 30, has one more year of arbitration before he would be eligible for free agency after the 2009 season. He's making $2.35 million this year and could expect to see his salary climb to around $3.5 million through arbitration.

The Braves signed Soriano to a two-year, $9 million contract last winter when he was in a similar situation, buying out a year of Soriano's free agency.

Soriano has spent most of the season on the disabled list with recurring elbow soreness, and three MRIs — including one this week by Dr. James Andrews — have revealed no ligament tears or other structural damage.

Diaz to Richmond

Outfielder Matt Diaz (left knee) will begin a new rehab assignment at Class AAA Richmond on Monday. He's been out 3-1/2 months recovering from a partially torn ligament and a subsequent injury to the same knee, after a protective brace dug into the knee when he made a sliding catch during a rehab assignment.