"If the Braves need to replace struggling starter Jo-Jo Reyes, they could do it with a 300-game winner. If they can wait a couple of more weeks.

Tom Glavine "let it fly" in two simulated innings of work in the Citi Field bullpen Wednesday, then said he felt as good or better than he did in spring training. He hopes to join the Braves' rotation by the end of May.

"He threw good," manager Bobby Cox said. "Had more velocity" than previous bullpens.

The 43-year-old left-hander has been on the disabled list all season after having shoulder and elbow surgeries in August, then a setback when he had felt shoulder pain while batting in an April 12 minor-league rehab start.

Glavine acknowledged he had retirement thoughts after that incident, but regained a sense of cautious optimism when he threw with only minor discomfort after two weeks of rest.

He says now he's at least 75-percent sure he'll pitch again, and the only reason he is so cautious is that he doesn't know how he'll feel each day after he throws.

"That's something I never had to worry about before," he said. "But I do now."

He threw a long bullpen session Friday in Philadelphia, and on Wednesday he raised the intensity level during two simulated innings of 15 and 22 pitches, with a rest between to replicate game conditions.

"I felt like today was my normal, controlled effort," he said. "It went well. I'm beyond where I was at spring training -certainly beyond where I was when I started spring training, and probably even at the end of spring training.""