"Publicly, the Rockies are holding out hope Aaron Cook could return this season, but Cook believes he has thrown his last pitch of 2010.

"I'll do everything I can and hope for the best, but I guess, being realistic, get ready for spring training," Cook said Friday. "That's baseball. It's disappointing, but I'm a baseball player."

Cook sustained a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula Wednesday night when he was struck by a one-hopper off the bat of Joey Votto. Cook got the win, having worked into the sixth inning, marking the first time all season he won back-to-back starts.

He had just returned from a rehab assignment where he worked through issues with his mechanics. Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo said Cook

(6-8, 5.08 ERA) was pitching better than he had at any other point in the season.

"It's disappointing because I really felt like I had ironed some things out when I was on the DL," Cook said.

Cook, who will wear a protective boot for four weeks, has landed on the disabled list five times. He was starting to emerge in 2004 when he became ill on the mound with blood clots in both lungs, leading to life-saving surgery.

With all those medical issues, Cook had a news flash for reporters: "First broken bone."

Cook was grateful that Votto left a message for him through a Rockies official.

"He made a phone call to say he felt bad," Cook said. "I guess he said he didn't do it on purpose, as if anybody would do anything like that on purpose.""