Millwood

ATLANTA – Atlanta Braves right-hander Kevin Millwood left his start Sunday after two innings complaining of stiffness in his right shoulder.

Millwood will undergo an MRI on Monday and is not likely to join the team when its leaves for San Diego that afternoon. He indicated it was too early to tell how much time, if any, he will miss.

His next start is scheduled for Saturday in Los Angeles. Jason Marquis is the candidate most likely to replace Millwood, who has struggled since finishing third in the 1999 Cy Young Award voting.

"It just feels like it has no zip," Millwood said. "It feels stiff, awkward, whatever you want to call it. Kind of numb. My fastball's got nothing on it."

Millwood gave up two hits, three earned runs, walked two and struck out one. He left with the Braves trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1. Atlanta won 7-4.

Damian Moss took Millwood's place, but he was hurt in the sixth inning as he was running to cover first base. Taking a throw behind him from Wes Helms, Moss twisted his right knee and was replaced by Jason Marquis.

Moss has an MRI scheduled for Monday, too.

The Braves already have starter John Smoltz on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow, though he pitched four scoreless innings in a rehab start Saturday at Double-A Greenville.

Smoltz will make another start on Thursday in Savannah for Single-A Macon.

"After that, hopefully, my next start will be here," he said. "It's just pretty exciting I get excited just thinking about it, but I have to be careful not to get ahead of myself."

Millwood does not have a history of shoulder problems, but his career has taken a downward turn after he went 18-7 in 1999 with a 2.68 ERA and held batters to a major league-low .202 average.

Last year Millwood's ERA rose to 4.66. He finished 10-13 and ended his season by giving up four runs on four hits and three walks in Game 3 of the Division Series. The Cardinals beat him 7-1 to sweep the series.

"I didn't have any pain in my shoulder last year, or anything serious at all," he said. "It's just got no zip, feels like there's no life in it. It feels dead, in a way."

Since beginning last season 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA, Millwood has gone 8-16 with a 5.05 ERA in his last 36 starts.

Millwood is 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA this season.

"He still feels he can go out, compete and win," pitching coach Leo Mazzone said. "But he's got no life on it, no zip."