"Forget about his shoulder, Aaron Cook's stomach will be twisting and turning tonight. He returns from a five-week absence, making a bid to stick in the potential four-man playoff rotation.

"I am excited," Cook said. "But it's all about going out there and performing."

There are no courtesy appearances at this point in the season. Cook is out there because the Rockies believe he can help. He lost that ability before he landed on the disabled list. In his last three starts, bothered by a sore foot and achy shoulder, he was tagged for 14 runs in 10 1/3 innings.

"This is an opportunity to get a real good look at Cook against a real good opponent and see how good his stuff is," manager Jim Tracy said. "No disrespect meant to the Padres, but the Cardinals have a few more guys in their lineup that can cause a problem if you don't make really, really good pitches."

Cook has traveled this road before. In 2007, he missed the final two months with a strained oblique, making a successful return in the World Series. This doesn't compare, Cook said.

"It was a totally different story. When I got hurt then, I knew I was gone for at least 60 days. And we weren't really even in it when I got hurt," Cook said. "This year, it has (stunk). I want to come back and help and be part of the team.""