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Nicasio, 25, has been a consistent and encouraging presence in the Rockies' clubhouse since he greeted his teammates just 10 days after the injury, and Tracy said he has been in awe of the determination the young pitcher has demonstrated.

"This guy is bound and determined, and completely committed, to being back [on] that mound -- sooner than later," Tracy said.

Still, Tracy stressed that, despite Nicasio's enthusiasm amid a surprisingly quick recovery thus far, caution will be exercised during his rehab.

"It didn't matter if I told you I was going to dominate. It's not about what you say. You have to go out and do it," Pomeranz said. "I felt comfortable out there."

Mom and dad had cameras flickering all day to record the event. Even without photos, this day will be impossible to forget for the 21-year-old and his family. Not only did he win, but he did so just three weeks after an appendectomy.

Pomeranz knows the eyes of Rockies fans will be on him, given his status as the top prospect in the Jimenez deal.

"I think I've seen a little bit of that," he said. "But I don't let things like that affect me per se. I've still got to do what I've got to do no matter what, no matter who's watching me or what the situation is. It's pretty cool to be part of something like that (such a major trade)."

Had this been "American Idol," it's safe to say that Rockies pitcher Alex White wouldn't be going to Hollywood. Fighting command issues, the rookie worked six clumsy innings Monday night, hit hard in the Rockies' 5-1 loss to the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks​.

Looking for his first win as a Rockie, White walked a career-high six batters and allowed five runs as his sinker betrayed him.

White, part of the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, missed nearly three months with a strained flexor tendon in his right middle finger. It won't regain full strength until February. Drew Pomeranz, the centerpiece of the Jimenez trade, remains a longshot to pitch in the rotation this season. However, after undergoing an appendectomy 11 days ago, Pomeranz threw a bullpen session for Double-A Tulsa on Monday and is tentatively scheduled to throw in a minor-league game next Monday. If it goes well, he will get a shot onstage.

You want to know why the Rocks put in a waiver claim on Houston's Wandy Rodriguez​ and his $36 million contract? This is why.

"After we moved Ubaldo, we had a game plan in mind to see if we could find a starting pitcher that we thought could not only help us this year but could be more of a veteran guy in our rotation moving forward," O'Dowd said. "So we've taken a shot at some guys. Obviously, it hasn't worked out yet, but we've had a plan in mind of what we're trying to do there."

The Rocks arrived at spring training envisioning a starting rotation of Jimenez, De La Rosa, Cook, Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel. Of the five, only Chacin came close to meeting expectations.

The Rockies overcame deficits in 2007 and 2009 to reach the postseason. A year ago, they staged a furious comeback, going from eight games back after 130 games to 1 1/2 games behind with two weeks left. Then, they promptly ran out of gas.

"We're still alive. Personally, I'm excited about the way we've been playing," outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "I'm sure we are going to have enough chances. Every team has their ups and downs, and right now Arizona and the Giants aren't playing good baseball."

When he walked into the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field on Wednesday morning, Wandy Rodriguez didn't know if he was coming or going.

"I thought about it a lot (Tuesday) night," Rodriguez said through an interpreter. "I didn't know if I'd be over here or over there."

He got his answer after the game. Rodriguez isn't going anywhere. One day after he was claimed off waivers by the Rockies, the Astros pulled him back, ending any notion of Colorado acquiring a left-hander with a 9-9 record on a team that stands 46 games below .500.

“You have no idea how good it felt to be out there,” said Pomeranz, admittedly bored by the two weeks of side sessions and simulated games where batters couldn’t swing as he waited to join the Rockies. “My teammates made some great plays out there.”
 
Pomeranz owns a 1.84 ERA in 98 innings this season in Single-A and Double-A stops.

After the game in Tampa I asked Mussina why he’d gotten so angry. He patiently explained that when an umpire consistently misses pitches, especially when you’re older, you become convinced those extra pitches you have to throw will come back and get you sooner or later.

“A lot of guys think C.B. Bucknor should be a Double-A umpire,” I said.

“That,” Mussina said, “would be an insult to Double-A umpires.”

Mussina is now retired; Bucknor is still in the Major Leagues.

"He was the same guy," Gonzalez said. "But he was a totally different pitcher compared to last year. His confidence was totally different. He used to come to me before every outing last year and say, 'I feel so great, these guys aren't going to be able to touch me.' And this year he didn't say that once.

The trade market O'Dowd encountered with Jimenez hardened his determination. Jimenez was viewed as a No. 2-type starter in the eyes of the other general managers but was pitching like a No. 3. When Indians GM Chris Antonetti agreed to include Pomeranz and White, O'Dowd jumped at the chance.

"I feel great," White said. "The biggest concern with the rehab was getting the arm back in shape, and we've done that. My arm feels very good. Getting back to 100 percent, we're right at that."

“This was a long-time coming. It’s very disappointing,” said Hammel, who’s 7-12 with a 5.24 ERA. “But they can’t send a guy out every fifth day that they have questiosn about. I was killing the bullpen. I have to figure it out. It’s put up or shut up time.”

Making his Rockies debut Wednesday at muggy ONEOK Field, Pomeranz did everything but floss his teeth with the Midland RockHounds. The player to be named later in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade looked like the ace of the future, retiring the first 19 hitters in a spotless, two-hit, seven-inning outing.

"I didn't want to think too much about it while I was pitching," Pomeranz said as he stood outside the Drillers' clubhouse with ice on his arm and a grin on his face. "But, yeah, this was a pretty good way to start my stint with the Rockies."

Pomeranz looks like a starter straight out of central casting. He's 6-foot-5, 240 pounds with a flat top. He was a star at the University of Mississippi, the fifth pick in the 2010 draft by the Indians. When the Rockies first told Cleveland that Jimenez was available, Pomeranz was off limits. Then on July 30, Cleveland called back with a change of heart. The deal took minutes, not hours, once Pomeranz was included with right-hander Alex White, another first-round pick, who could join the Rockies' rotation after his start tonight for the Drillers.

As the central figure in the Jimenez deal, Pomeranz seems remarkably unfazed. His minor-league season doesn't need much embellishment. He owns a 1.84 ERA in 98 innings.

Nicasio waved, smiled and, as he made his way down the steps, tipped his cap. He's convinced it won't be the last time it happens at Coors Field.

"I know that I am going to pitch again," Nicasio said.

There is nothing routine about coping with a fractured C1 vertebra. Just 11 days after Ian Desmond's line drive struck him in the right temple, giving him a concussion and creating a fall that likely broke his neck, Nicasio spoke with reporters for the first time about the accident and his determination to press forward.

"Thank God I can walk. That was my biggest fear," Nicasio said, alternating between English and Spanish during the 10-minute interview. "I feel very lucky, because a lot of people who have this injury don't live."

On passing on slugger Evan Longoria in the 2006 draft and choosing Greg Reynolds with the second pick: "I can't tell you where we might be if we had Longoria in the middle of our lineup. We took a look too much at needs vs. talent. Honestly, we had a no-brainer. We had a layup and we passed the ball. I personally feel that's the biggest mistake I've made. I regret that decision even more than the (Mike) Hampton-(Denny) Neagle decision."

The job of ensuring the rockiness recedes and the results return belongs to Tim Belcher. The Tribe pitching coach has been studying Jimenez's unorthodox mechanics ever since the front office first began discussing the deal, and he's come away with one conclusion about the stab-and-slingshot delivery Jimenez invented out of desperation seven years ago.

"He's got a lot going on," Belcher said. "But it works."

It only works when Jimenez remains consistent with his mechanics, and that's a difficult thing to do with so many moving parts. Jimenez was in Class A ball in 2004, recovering from a stress fracture in his right shoulder, when he came up with the throwing motion in which he cocks his arm behind his back, opens up and follows through as if throwing a hatchet. It's a motion that can create devastating movement on his sinking fastball.

"I was trying to find a way to throw where I didn't feel any pain," Jimenez said. "That's how I got those mechanics. Because every time I stabbed my arm like that, I didn't feel any pain."