Aaron Cook Passes His 'Day-After' Test

Word out of the Rockies clubhouse at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz., has starter Aaron Cook passing the "day-after" test -- showing no lingering ill effects after his five-inning outing against San Francisco.

Pitching coach Bob Apodaca has pronounced Cook's shoulder "fine" after the No. 2 starter had been held out of action for two weeks due to a shoulder strain. The staff had been watching him closely to assure the strain did not return after his 50-pitch outing at the beginning of the week.

Backup catcher Mike Rose -- who has occasionally caught Cook on the side since he went down -- said the soft-tosser had been throwing off a mound relatively normally since it was decided he should sit out as a precaution. If it had been the regular season, he likely would have pitched.

"It was just a twinge," Rose told http://www.mlbnewsonline.com/. "He doesn't rely that much on velocity anyway."

Cook -- who induces batters to hit grounders off his heavy sinker -- retired a score batters while giving up three hits and two runs in the 10-inning, 4-2 win over San Francisco. His camp ERA stands at 5.40, with at least two more outings scheduled before the team heads north.

Cook, last year's opening day starter, figures to pitch out of the 2-spot behind Jeff Francis this season.