ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Atlanta Braves lefthander Bruce Chen finally cracked the starting rotation tonight after failing to make team in spring training. The highly-touted 21-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Richmond and moved into the spot vacated by the injured John Smoltz. Chen gave up a grand slam to Gary Gaetti in the first inning of tonight's 8-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs but settled down to pitch scoreless ball the next five frames. He allowed four runs and five hits over six innings, walking two and striking out seven. "I'm glad I was able to keep us in the game," Chen said. Smoltz went on the disabled list Monday with a sore pitching elbow. To make room for Chen, the Braves placed righthanded reliever John Hudek on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 15, with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Chen was expected to be Atlanta's fifth starter but did not make the trip north after an ineffective spring. He was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in five exhibition games, allowing 23 hits and 12 walks in 18 innings. Chen was 3-2 and ranked third in the International League with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts. He allowed 37 hits while walking 13 and striking out a league-leading 53 in 47 innings. A native of Panama, Chen was a 16-year-old high school student when the Braves signed him in 1993. He steadily advanced through the minor leagues and made it to Atlanta last September, going 2-0 with a 3.98 ERA in four starts. Smoltz, the 1996 National League Cy Young Award winner, was Atlanta's most reliable starter, going 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA in eight starts. Hudek is 0-1 with an 11.17 ERA in 10 appearances this season and has no record and a 9.34 ERA in eight games since being acquired from Cincinnati for Mark Wohlers on April 16. In 9 2/3 innings this year, he has allowed 17 hits while walking 11 and striking out nine.  