BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Braves’ Kelly Says He’s No Deion Sanders

In his debut with the Braves at home, Roberto Kelly was hoping to get a warm welcome, though Atlanta fans reacted with opposition to the trade that sent Deion Sanders to Cincinnati. But the fans seemed to forget Sanders quickly Friday night, when Kelly scored once, doubled in two runs and made a couple of flashy plays.

“I’m not here to copy what Deion did. Deion is Deion,” Kelly said. “I’m not a flashy type of player. I’m not here to replace Deion, I’m here to play center field. . . .

“I’m not outspoken, I just do what I have to do. I don’t think people have to worry about me being too loud.”

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Brett Butler’s mother, Betty Butler, had the upper part of a lung removed Thursday after doctors found a malignant tumor. Butler said his mother is waiting on results of tests on two lymph nodes. . . . Delino DeShields, in Los Angeles after exploratory surgery Thursday to remove a foreign body from his middle left finger, will be reexamined in a few days and probably will join the team in Florida. . . . The Braves may have found a way for John Smoltz to miss only one start during his eight-game suspension for his part in a bench-clearing brawl on May 14, when he hit New York Met John Cangelosi with a pitch. Smoltz, whose hearing is set for June 23 in New York, is being urged by the club to drop his appeal after his start on June 20. Past suspensions have started immediately after dropped appeals. If National League President Leonard Coleman follows that, Smoltz’s suspension would end a day before his scheduled June 30 start. However, Coleman said he intended Smoltz to miss two starts.