(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Returning from the 15-day disabled list, Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday, back, jokes with hitting coach Alan Cockrell while taking part in batting practice before facing the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a Major League baseball game in Denver on Tuesday, June 10, 2008.

Matt Holliday, like the Backstreet Boys before him, is back alright.

The Rockies are coming off of two consecutive series wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers -- that's right folks, two. Now they have Holliday's Godzilla bat back in the lineup as he returned from the 15-day disabled list (strained left hamstring) last night for the series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

Things are looking up for the boys in purple.

The disabled list is much leaner these days with Troy Tulowitzki (left quadriceps tendon tear), Jason Hirsh (right rotator cuff inflammation) and Clint Barmes (right knee sprain) being the only big names still out with injuries. Hirsh is already rehabbing, Tulowitzki is healing surprisingly quickly and soon to make some rehab starts and Barmes will begin rehab next Monday.

Just a few weeks ago, a huge chunk of the roster was in the training room rather than the batting cage and the Rockies were clawing in vain from a deep, dark hole at the bottom of the National League West standings.

Ok, they're still in a deep, dark hole at the bottom of the standings (though the Seattle Mariners have a worse record), but at least they can see a few rays of sunlight now.

Coming back from such a huge deficit is nearly impossible. Nearly.

They do have people like Aaron Cook (3.16 ERA), Taylor Buchholz (0.84 WHIP), Brian Fuentes (2.88 K/BB ratio), Chris Iannetta (.570 slugging percentage -- second best among big league catchers with at least 100 ABs) and Ryan Spilborghs (.425 on-base percentage) having smashing seasons thus far.

When Brad Hawpe, Jeff Francis (3.00 ERA in his last three starts) and Manny Corpas return to form, the Rockies will look more deadly than Steven Segal's ponytail -- and that thing is deadly.

A repeat of 2007's 21 wins in 22 games is unlikely, but reaching .500 is not out of the question.

Matt Holliday will probably answer his trade rumors with another season as the best hitting left fielder in baseball (though Philadelphia's Pat Burrell pushes for a gargantuan contract next season with each and every tater he hits into the cheap seats).

Tulowitzki's eagerly awaited return will also help the Rockies to possibly break that .500 barrier. Though his hitting was terrible before he got hurt, there is no way he will follow last season's .838 on-base plus slugging percentage season with a .464 season -- he's too talented for that.

On top of that, Barmes will provide great value either as a second basemen or a utility infielder.

Then Hirsh can furnish the Rockies with an actual fifth starter, which they seem to have gone without recently. I suppose they'd rather tire the rotation than let Jorge De La Rosa or Glendon Rusch pitch -- probably an astute tactic, actually.

The Rockies, when the whole team is actually playing, aren't as awful as they have looked so far this season -- the last two series are starting to show that.

With Holliday and his compatriots coming off the DL, these crazy Rockies of ours might just win a few games.

Contact Eric Peterson about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 112 or sports@coloradodaily.com