As Wednesday's game against the Cardinals was in progress, an e-mail went out announcing a shuffling of the rotation. That included giving right-hander Kenshin Kawakami's fatigued right shoulder a few extra days to rest. The announcement came after Cox had said that he had no plans to alter the order of his starters. But that might have been before the training staff got to him, or maybe Kawakami was hesitant to ask for the time.

Whatever the reason, Kawakami has been slotted at the back of the rotation, and he will pitch the final game of this homestand Tuesday against the Mets. That's good news for left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes, who gets another start on a normal schedule with a shot at becoming more than a fifth starter.

The lineup's gyrations are more problematic. Second baseman Kelly Johnson is in a slump, but he has been streaky before. Cox doesn't seem to be saying that Johnson is in danger of losing his starting position. On the other hand, infielder Omar Infante, who played five positions for the Braves last season, is hitting and making highlight-reel plays in the field.

That is a minor issue compared with catcher Brian McCann's absence from the cleanup spot. More than the lack of offense, the fact that his problem is his vision is of great concern. No combination of drops, ointments or contact-lens variations has eliminated the blurry vision in his left eye.