The excitable closer is as healthy as he's ever been as a Brave, nearly two years removed from May 2007 elbow reconstruction surgery.

He's raring to go. And that's saying something for a guy who rocks over the rubber in his windup.

Gonzalez has felt this way since he start throwing again in early January.

"I felt like I had a new arm," Gonzalez said. "I felt like I was 20 years old again. I went out there and was just slinging it. I've been having to back off a little bit because my arm was just like 'Man, you better go.' "

Gonzalez still has two weeks before spring training starts and nine weeks before opening day. But he can't wait to pitch his first full season healthy since he was closing for Pittsburgh.

"I really felt like Atlanta hasn't had a chance to see me 100 percent," said Gonzalez, who was having elbow problems before the Braves traded for him in January of 2007. "I'm fired up and looking forward to going out there and throwing without any pain."

Pitchers say coming back from "Tommy John" surgery can feel awkward, adjusting to new energy, working through soreness and enduring inconsistencies.

But after an offseason to rest?

"Every guy that's had Tommy John [surgery] tells me the same thing: 'Hey, after these three months, it's on. Now you're going to compete. You're going to be back to old Gonzo.' That's what I'm looking forward to," Gonzalez said.

He was a tick or two off from the "old Gonzo" last season. Gonzalez converted 14 of 16 saves in 36 outings, but his 4.28 ERA (16 earned runs in 33 2/3 innings) was uncharacteristic. His fastball, which is normally in the mid-to-upper 90s, was in the low 90s at best when he first returned in mid-June.

Because of that initial dip in velocity, Gonzalez said, he had to focus more on throwing strikes and mixing in his offspeed pitches. That will help him now as his velocity returns.

"Before I just let it eat, as they say, let it go and see what happens," Gonzalez said. "I really had to focus on throwing strikes last year, and I think it helped me. I've got a better understanding of the strike zone, and it's definitely going to make me a better pitcher."

Gonzalez is confident in his slider and more comfortable with his change-up, a pitch he plans to mix in more. That's significant for a guy who lived off his fastball for much of his 20s.

"Pride is a big thing for me," said Gonzalez, 30. "You see a power hitter, a [Ryan] Howard or [Albert] Pujols, and it was like 'Here's your fastball.' I'm starting to understand now, you know what? If they can't hit the slider in the dirt, you throw that slider in the dirt until they learn how to hit it."

Gonzalez has lost 15 pounds. He's a fit 6 feet 2, 200 pounds and in the best shape of his life, he says. He had to have surgery in October to remove a fatty tumor from his back called a lipoma, but it was benign, and he recovered in three weeks.

The three months he took off this winter were Gonzalez's first break from throwing and rehabilitating his arm in two years, going back to the start of the 2007 season.

He got his mind off the game by working with his family in Deer Park, Texas, outside Houston to rebuild the church where his parents are pastors. The House of Refuge non-denominational church was damaged in Hurricane Ike in September.

After work was complete, he took his parents and two sisters on their first family vacation since his parents became pastors 14 years ago. They went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Now he's rested and ready to get back to work as the Braves' primary closer. Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan, both also coming back from surgeries, are expected to serve as his setup men.

Gonzalez is ready to shoulder the load, and the Braves are eager to see what he can do.

"From that first time he went in [in a game] in Texas, to where he ended up, his velocity was climbing, and that was right after Tommy John surgery," Braves reliever Blaine Boyer said. "You can only imagine what it's going to be like now after a full offseason of rest and working out. He looks awesome. He's going to be dominant this year, no doubt."