WASHINGTON -- While many were worrying about his dislocated right pinky finger on Tuesday afternoon, John Smoltz was celebrating his 40th birthday by working on his short game at one of his favorite golf courses.

When Smoltz exited RFK Stadium on Monday night, he never envisioned that he'd awake Tuesday morning and actually have the flexibility that would allow him to attempt a few pitches and putts at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Lake Manassas. But he did, and because of this, he's even more optimistic about his chances of starting Saturday afternoon's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

"I'm doing great," Smoltz said. "I couldn't ask for a better recovery. I think I'm going to be alright ... I'm not concerned about it like I was last night."

Smoltz immediately thought he'd suffered a fracture during Monday night's seventh inning, when, while applying a tag, his right pinky bumped Austin Kearn's left elbow. But by the time Tuesday afternoon arrived, the swelling had reduced to a point where it was tough to tell that he'd even suffered an injury.

"A lot is going to be determined when I pick up a baseball, throw and see how that feels," said Smoltz, who will likely throw a side session on Wednesday to get a better idea of how the finger reacts at the end of his throwing motion.

Because of the wider grip that it necessitates, Smoltz says his changeup will likely be the pitch that would be most greatly affected by this pinky injury. He's confident that he can throw his fastball, curveball, slider and split-finger fastball without any hindrance.

"I'm not going to go pitch naked," Smoltz said. "I'm not just going to go throw fastballs and curveballs."

While Braves manager Bobby Cox is certainly encouraged by the surprising progress Smoltz has made, he's still not convinced that his veteran right-hander will be able to oppose Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka on Saturday.

"It's going to be painful," Cox said. "Those things don't just go away in a day or two."

Because he doesn't have to put much pressure on his pinky while pitching and putting, Smoltz took advantage of the opportunity to do so while sharing Monday's round with former Braves catcher Greg Olson and some friends who had flown up from Atlanta.

During Tuesday night's batting practice, Smoltz chased down numerous fly balls and even made one over the shoulder catch in deep center field. When he threw the ball back toward the infield, he cautiously made light tosses that didn't travel much further than 20 feet.

"I'm lucky so far," Smoltz said.

Chipper getting worried: When Chipper Jones bruised both of his palms during a fall that followed Friday night's collision with Pirates third baseman Jose Bautista, he thought he might just be out of the lineup for two days.

When a swollen right hand was still preventing him from returning to the lineup on Tuesday, he asked the Braves to have the injured area X-rayed. The team expects to have the results following Tuesday night's game.

"You would think that a bruise wouldn't keep you out so long," Jones said. "But if it is bruised, it's bruised in the exact right spot to keep me from being able to get going."

During his fall, Jones first hit the ground with his left hand. When it gave way, his right palm slammed against the infield dirt. He doubled two innings later. But the swelling that has since developed has made it impossible for him to comfortably place the knob of the bat in the palm of his right hand.

Jones doesn't have any discomfort while throwing the baseball and thinks there's a chance he could still swing from the right side of the plate. But it's currently impossible for him to finish his swing from the left side.

"When it rolls over, I have to let go of the bat," Jones said.

What to do with Salty? Backup catcher Brayan Pena is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday and there are some in Braves camp who would like to activate him and still keep Jarrod Saltalamacchia on their 25-man roster.

In the past, the thought has been that it would be best to continue allowing Saltalamacchia to develop his catching skills while playing on an everyday basis in the Minors. But that was before he came to the Majors two weeks ago and immediately proved that he can be a switch-hitting threat.

If the Braves chose to keep Saltalamacchia in Atlanta, they would likely only do so if they planned to use him in a platoon role at first base with Scott Thorman. If they did that, they'd likely have to eat the remainder of Craig Wilson's $2 million salary.

Wilson is hitting just .172 (10-for-58) with one homer and two RBIs.

Saltalamacchia didn't appear to have any trouble while taking grounders at first base before Tuesday night's game.

Wickman activated: As expected, closer Bob Wickman was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. To make room on the 25-man roster, the Braves optioned right-handed pitcher Kevin Barry to Triple-A Richmond.

Coming up: The Braves will continue their four-game series against the Nationals on Wednesday night. They'll send Kyle Davies (1-1, 5.35) to the mound to face Levale Speigner (1-0, 3.77).