--1B Todd Helton, who underwent arthroscopic back surgery Sept. 30 to relieve pressure a bulging disk was putting on a nerve in his lower back, creating numbness in his left leg, made his Cactus League debut March 8. On his first at-bat, he hit a home run to straightaway center field at Hi Corbett Field. The homer, which came against the Padres' Chris Young, traveled an estimated 450 feet.

"He left a ball over the middle of the plate, and I did what I was supposed to do," Helton said. "It's one at-bat. I have to do it over a long period of time to help this team win. But it was a lot better than grounding out to second base."

--RHP Ubaldo Jimenez made one memorable start for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. On March 10, he set a WBC record with 10 strikeouts. (Japan's Koji Uehara set the old record of eight strikeouts on March 6, 2006, in San Diego during a semifinal game against South Korea). Working on a 70-pitch limit in what turned out to be a 2-1 loss in 11 innings to the Netherlands that eliminated the Dominican team, Jimenez threw 65 pitches, 43 for strikes, while allowing two hits in four innings. He didn't issue a walk.

"I've never been put on that stage, the emotions you deal with going in and representing your country," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's a young pitcher on the rise. We're counting on him. So, good for him. It's just another thing for him on his to-do list that he'll be able to scratch off in a positive fashion."

Before the WBC started, Jimenez worked three innings in Jupiter, Fla., against a Cardinals team that save for Albert Pujols was the regular lineup. He allowed two hits with four strikeouts in three innings. And in his last Cactus League start, Jimenez struck out three in three scoreless, two-hit innings against the Indians.

So in his past three appearances, two with national pride on the line, Jimenez had given up six hits and struck out 17 in nine scoreless innings. He returned to camp from Puerto Rico on March 13. Rather than have Jimenez pitch March 15 on five days' rest after his 10-strikeout performance, pitching coach Bob Apodaca plans to ease him back into action with two side sessions. Jimenez's next start was tentatively scheduled for March 17 at home against the Royals.

--RHP Manuel Corpas returned March 10 from the World Baseball Classic, in which he made one two-inning appearance in a 30-pitch outing for Panama. He threw one scoreless inning for the Rockies on March 11. In the competition to determine the closer, Corpas is vying with RHP Huston Street, who had been dealing with right quadriceps soreness but retired the Angels in order in his one inning of work March 12, an outing manager Clint Hurdle called his "best by far."

Hurdle said the race between Corpas and Street is too close to call but that he would like to decide on a closer with a week remaining in spring training.

--RHP Jason Grilli had an eventful stay with Italy before that team was eliminated in the World Baseball Classic. Grilli, who earned the only save in his major league career last season at San Francisco when he worked three innings on Aug. 26, picked up a save March 9 when he threw 44 pitches while working 3 1/3 scoreless innings in a 6-2 win over Venezuela.

Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca had mild concern over Corpas working two innings, but not nearly as much as he did with Grilli's effort.

"We were going to get two innings out of Corpas, but not that soon," Apodaca said. "When it happens concerns me. But (Grilli's) 3 1/3 does. Throwing 44 pitches in 3 1/3 is very economical, so he threw a lot of strikes, but I was very surprised by how many innings they asked him to throw."

Manager Clint Hurdle said, "We've let people know how we feel about the situation. We understand it might've been the biggest game Italy ever played. (But) you've got a one-inning guy in the big leagues, possibly two innings ... throws 44 -- that's a lot of pitches."

--LHP Greg Smith, who has been suffering from flu-like symptoms, was scratched from a start March 8 and scratched again March 10 and March 13. A candidate for the fifth starter, Smith had a bullpen session March 12, took fielding practice a day later and is likely to throw in a minor league game March 18. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said Smith should still have enough time to get ready for the season but has little margin for anything more to go wrong, because "he had only thrown twice, and now he's going to be starting from scratch."

--RHP Ryan Speier finished last season with 10 scoreless appearances covering 11 2/3 innings, and he has stayed in that pitching groove this spring. He posted five scoreless innings in his first four games with two hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts.

"The opportunities are out there," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Certain guys move upon them; certain guys don't move upon them. He's come in focused, and he did have some momentum at the end of last year that he's carried through."

--RHP Matt Belisle, who had been sidelined with a strained right forearm, made his spring debut and earned a save with a scoreless ninth inning March 8. On March 11, he gave up three hits but pitched another scoreless inning. Belisle will have to be stretched out to be a candidate for the fifth starter. But he has pitched in relief and in the wake of RHP Taylor Buchholz's elbow injury that will sideline Buchholz at least the first month of the season, making Belisle a contender for the one open spot in the bullpen.

Also vying for that relief role are RHP Josh Fogg, who is not being stretched out to start and who pitched two scoreless innings March 13, and RHP Juan Morillo, who is out of minor league options. Belisle and Fogg are signed to minor league contracts and can opt out only if they have 25-man roster spots with another big-league club. Belisle and Fogg would have to sign 45-day deals to stick with the Rockies, which means if they are sent out within 45 days of the opening of the season, they would accept a minor league assignment.

BY THE NUMBERS: .223 -- Average by opposing hitters last year against RHP Ubaldo Jimenez at Coors Field, where he went 7-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts and allowed eight homers in 103 1/3 innings.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I feel like this is my time to be here with this team. My first time up (43 at-bats in 2007) was just a cup of coffee. Last year, I went through some struggles, but I came back and I made my adjustments. This year is my time to really prove I belong, to step up and find my way on the team and in the lineup somehow." -- INF/OF Ian Stewart, who is trying to begin a season in the majors for the first time. He can play third base, his natural position, left field and second base but currently isn't the projected starter at any of those positions.