Smoltz Pitches in Minors

John Smoltz, pitching in a minor league uniform for the first time in 10 years, turned in what he called an average performance Thursday night at Greenville, S.C.

He pitched four innings in the Greenville Braves’ 6-5 victory over Chattanooga in a Southern League opener.

“It was an average outing for me, one that needs to get better,” said the Atlanta Braves’ 1996 Cy Young Award winner. “I had one really good inning tonight, and in the others I just wavered a bit.”

Smoltz, who had surgery on his right elbow in December to remove bone spurs, threw 58 pitches against the Lookouts, including 30 strikes. He struck out five, walked one and gave up two hits.

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The Philadelphia Phillies met with holdout J.D. Drew and agent Scott Boras, offering their No. 1 draft pick a $2.6-million signing bonus plus a major league contract for $200,000 this season.

“We didn’t set any deadlines or set any drop-dead dates,” Phillie General Manager Ed Wade said. “We also said we had no interest in trading the rights to him. They said they would get back to us.”