LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As long as his surgically repaired left knee cooperates, Brian Jordan believes he'll have no problem earning a spot on the Braves' Opening Day roster. But that's not stopping him from giving manager Bobby Cox as many reasons as possible to keep him around.

During Sunday afternoon's workout at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, Jordan, who has spent his career as an outfielder, took some ground balls at first base. Although he's played just two big-league games at the position, he demonstrated the soft hands he possessed while playing shortstop in high school.

"He catches the ball real nice," Cox said. "I was pleasantly surprised."

Without Julio Franco around, the Braves could choose to make Adam LaRoche their everyday first baseman. Or they could once again utilize a platoon, which would afford a right-handed hitter like Jordan or James Jurries a chance to play on a regular basis.

"It's just a matter of getting back, getting some ground balls, getting comfortable and just learning first base," Jordan said. "It's not as easy as it looks."

But it's certainly easier than playing through the daily left knee discomfort that Jordan endured the past 2 1/2 years. He had the knee surgically repaired in November. Now, one month shy of his 39th birthday, he believes he can deliver at least one more productive season.

"It was miserable," Jordan said of the discomfort in his knee. "[It was] [m]iserable to where I was [considering] retiring last year. So you can imagine how I'm feeling right now. I'm pretty excited."

Cox says Jordan appears to be healthy, but when the Grapefruit League season begins later this week, the veteran manager plans to give the veteran outfielder a few extra days to strengthen his knee. He'll likely start giving him playing time the following week.

"His knee looks fine to me," Cox said. "He's going through the paces awfully hard."

Jordan, who hit .247 and spent nearly two months on the disabled list last year, believes he'd have no problem serving as a backup outfielder. He could platoon in left field with Ryan Langerhans or simply serve as a utility outfielder. Either way, there would be many instances where he'd be available to serve as a right-handed pinch-hitter.

Matt Diaz, a right-handed hitter, and Kelly Johnson, a left-handed hitter, are also competing to earn a roster spot as backup outfielders.

"As long as my knee is healthy, I'm not worried about the competition," Jordan said. "Right now, my knee is almost there. I need to stay on schedule and keep getting strong. Once I'm full speed, I know I can play the outfield."

Obermueller getting a look: After being acquired from the Brewers in December, Wes Obermueller immediately became well-known around Atlanta as the warm-blooded human being that the Braves were able to get in exchange for Dan Kolb.

The Braves didn't place Obermueller on their 40-man roster, but they promised he'd be given every chance to prove himself during Spring Training. So far, the 29-year-old right-handed hurler has made the most of the opportunity.

"He has outstanding stuff," Cox said. "He's around the plate, and he's not wild. Our scouts liked him, and you can see why."

Obermueller, who has a fastball that's been clocked at between 92-94 mph and a good-looking slider, struggled last year while splitting time between Milwaukee's bullpen and starting rotation. In 23 games (eight starts), he was 1-4 with a 5.26 ERA. He issued 36 walks and recorded 33 strikeouts in 65 innings.

"Obviously, I want to fight for a spot," Obermueller said. "I want to show I believe I have the ability to help this team win. I'm open-minded to do whatever they want."

Obermueller, who is competing for a bullpen spot, says the trade renewed his vigor, and now he's attempting to regain the confidence that he admits he lacked with the Brewers last year.

"You've always got to point the finger at yourself," Obermueller said. "It comes down to having confidence within yourself."

On Sunday morning, Cox called his good friend Ned Yost, who was Obermueller's manager in Milwaukee, to ask about the reliever.

During the conversation, Yost said, "He just needs a little confidence, and a change of scenery can be good for guys. I would love nothing more than for 'Obie' to be successful, because he's such a good kid. I really hope that happens."

Boyer feeling fine: While throwing off the mound on Saturday for the first time in nearly five months, Blaine Boyer was happy with the way his shoulder felt. He was even more encouraged when he awoke on Sunday feeling nothing more than normal soreness.

"Mechanically, you've got to expect everything isn't going to be perfect, which is fine," Boyer said. "But my arm felt pretty good."

Boyer, who battled shoulder inflammation at the end of last season, will escalate his pitch counts while throwing off the mound every other day. The right-handed reliever will throw 45 pitches at slightly more than 50 percent effort on Monday.

All indications are that Boyer could be ready to go on Opening Day. He'll be allowed to face live hitters on March 7, and will likely throw a simulated game on March 12.

"Once somebody gives me the official word to let it go, I'm going to let it go," Boyer said.

Braves bits: Edgar Renteria had no trouble taking batting practice on Sunday. The veteran shortstop strained a muscle in his left side on Thursday and didn't participate in Friday's workout. ... The Braves will gather their top Minor League players for a minicamp that begins on Monday.