--3B Chipper Jones sat out another game after suffering back spasms Saturday while at his locker in the visitors clubhouse at Shea. With Monday's off day giving him another day to treat the back, Jones expects to play against the Nationals on Tuesday.
--INF Brent Lillibridge was rushed to New York from Class AAA Richmond (Va.) for Saturday's game because of Friday's injury to starting SS Yunel Escobar (bruised right index finger), then found himself in the starting lineup when 3B Chipper Jones was stricken with back spasms before the game. Lillibridge struck out in his first at-bat. --SS Yunel Escobar's badly bruised right index finger may keep him sidelined until the two-game series against the Nationals in Washington starting Tuesday. That's if the Braves are lucky; the injury is on his throwing hand. He is available to pinch-run.
--CF Mark Kotsay was back in center field Saturday after sitting out two games with a strained left trapezius muscle.
--RHP Phil Stockman, called up from Class AAA Richmond (Va.) Friday to give the bullpen a fresh arm, barely got a chance to warm up when he had to be optioned back Saturday; the Braves needed a spot for INF Brent Lillibridge when neither 3B Chipper Jones nor SS Yunel Escobar could go against the Mets.
BY THE NUMBERS: 0 -- Number of split-finger fastballs RHP John Smoltz threw in spring training. He used the pitch to record his 3,000th career strikeout April 22 against Nationals 2B Felipe Lopez.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's more mental than physical at this point." -- LHP Mike Hampton, on rehabbing his strained left pectoral muscle.
