DETROIT -- John Smoltz left the Atlanta organization on bad terms this winter after two decades as a Brave. When he learned Wednesday that his longtime teammate, 305-game winner Tom Glavine, was cut just as he was about to return from a long shoulder rehabilitation, it left Smoltz shaking his head -- but not surprised.

"I'm using a very soft word in 'disappointed' because that ain't right," he said. "To go that far in your rehab, and then right before the time, to do that? Well, it's not my problem anymore, I just feel bad for a teammate of mine that I had for a long time."

Glavine, 43, was coming off shoulder and elbow surgery, but he had completed his rehab stint and said he was ready to return to the majors. Once he entered the big leagues, he would receive a $1 million roster bonus.

Asked if he thought the move was financially motivated, Smoltz sighed. "Yeah, I know too much, let's just put it that way."

Smoltz has expressed his anger in the past at the regime of general manager Frank Wren, who he felt did not give him a chance to stay in Atlanta. The 42-year-old pitcher is completing his own rehab from shoulder surgery and should pitch for Boston in the next few weeks. Smoltz said this is just the latest in a long line of cold moves by the Atlanta leadership.

"It's just not how you treat people. He didn't have a chance to fail at that level, if that was the issue or the concern. But it's just not how you go about it. But they're in control and they make those decisions -- and they've made a lot of them lately," Smoltz said.

Glavine's agent said his client wants to pitch again, but it's not clear if he will have the chance to do so. Smoltz only knows one thing: this is not the way a 305-game winner should go out.

"I don't know. I think he's at a point in his career where this was probably going to be the only situation where he would have gone and worked this hard to try and come back. I don't know. I just know he didn't retire."

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Mike Lowell had a game to remember Wednesday night in Detroit. The Boston third baseman picked up his 1,500th hit, but he couldn't stay around to savor it -- he was ejected from the game by home plate ump Bob Davidson in the ninth inning.

He also committed his sixth error of the season.

Lowell was stuck on 1,499 hits for seven at-bats, a fact that teammate Mark Kotsay made sure to remind him of.

"Kotsay was the one who told me after my second at-bat. I said, 'Is that where I'm at? No wonder. I've probably been pressing subconsciously,' " Lowell joked, noting that he's halfway to one of the sport's biggest milestones: 3,000 hits.

"Halfway there, another 11 years -- I'll be 46? I think I'm going to fall short of 3,000, I really do," Lowell laughed.

Lowell didn't last through the game, however. Davidson tossed him after he flew out in the ninth inning. Lowell and Davidson had words during the at-bat after a ball high and inside was called a strike. Lowell said that was the second pitch that was incorrectly called on him that night.

"I'm really not going to say something unless I'm sure I'm really right. And I looked at the video and the pitch is not close -- and I let him know," Lowell said.

"When you ask umpires, sometimes they'll say borderline, or maybe I went a little too far. I can accept that. We're all human, we all make mistakes. But when something's not a strike, and they tell you that it's right there, it's been there all night, that's when it bothers me a little," Lowell said.

Lowell flew out to right field later in the at-bat to end the inning, and as he was returning to the dugout, Davidson started walking up the first-base line. Lowell asked, 'Why are you looking at me? I haven't done anything.' Then the two had a brief exchange, and Lowell was tossed.

"I never cursed at him or anything, I can't see why we can't express our opinions," Lowell said.

dbarbari@projo.com