"Barry Zito was in a heap of trouble.

He stood on the mound in Oakland, a 22-year-old in the fifth inning of his big league life, flush with anticipation, having recently arrived with a rainbow curveball that was the talk of the minors.

The Anaheim Angels loaded the bases with nobody out, heart of the order coming up. Zito already had issued six walks and hit a batter.

But when the moment most required it, Zito found the strike zone. He froze Mo Vaughn with a curveball. He threw a high-and-tight fastball to Tim Salmon, who couldn't check his swing. Then Zito dropped in two curveballs to get ahead of Garret Anderson, finishing him off with a slider in the dirt.

The green-and-gold crowd thundered. And now, almost 11 years later, Zito is feeling the anticipation again.

After more than two months on the disabled list and a trip of rediscovery in the minor leagues, Zito is fresh off the farm and returning to the Giants' rotation Tuesday. He is scheduled to start the second game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field.

"I'm excited. I've been counting the days," said Zito, who had never been on the disabled list before spraining his right foot April 16 at Arizona. "You do it for so long and don't miss a turn. You forget all the joy that goes along with just being out there. "... It just teaches you to focus on your day-to-day responsibilities and not on the big picture. Everything will take care of itself.""