TUCSON - Brian Lawrence saw the Rockies as the perfect fit.

Others, particularly Seattle, offered a bit more money.

No team, though, provided the opportunity the Rockies did to the right-hander, who underwent right shoulder surgery one year ago to repair a torn labrum and clean up a rotator cuff.

With the Rockies he has a chance to making the Opening Day rotation, which is his desire, but without the pressure to make good or go home.

"Colorado is the one team that had the pitching depth to bring a guy like me in and if I needed more time, it wasn't desperation," Lawrence said. "Other teams didn't have the luxury. They weren't going to spend money to bring me in and not have me ready to start the year."

Lawrence is one of seven candidates for the final two spots in the rotation.

The competition includes holdovers from last year, Josh Fogg and Byung-Hyun Kim, along with offseason addition Jason Hirsh, who was involved in the trade that sent Jason Jennings to the Houston Astros.

Lawrence made his spring training debut Monday, working two innings in a morning "B" game against the Chicago White Sox on a back field at the White Sox's minor league complex.

He held the White Sox scoreless for two innings in a 1-0 loss that preceded the Rockies' 8-2 loss against the Texas Rangers in the scheduled exhibition game at Hi Corbett Field.

Lawrence got out of a jam after the first two batters he faced reached by getting Brian Anderson to ground into a double play.

After a walk and infield single with one out in his second inning, Lawrence got Jim Thome and Eduardo Perez on lazy flyballs.

"A few things weren't comfortable yet," he said.

No surprise. That was the first time he had faced hitters in a game situation since Oct. 8, 2005, in Game 3 of a National League Division Series with the San Diego Padres.

He retired four of the five St. Louis Cardinals batters that hit against him in that outing.

He walked two White Sox batters, but they were left-handed hitters, and facing left-handers was the area where Lawrence felt off-kilter.

"I was flying open and everything was going wide to them," he said. "I was just happy to get out and pitching again. It felt good."

Lawrence's fastball was 82 mph to 84 mph, about 3 mph below his speed in the past. Considering how long he had been sidelined, nobody was concerned.

It was a basic feel-good morning on the wind-swept minor league field. Dave Veres worked a perfect inning in his second appearance in a bid to return to the majors at the age of 40, with an artificial right hip and after a four-year absence.

Veres made his initial return in an intrasquad game Friday, putting Lawrence on center stage Monday.

And like Veres, what Lawrence wants is to be a part of the group, not be singled out for his medical condition. Problems developed when he first reported to spring training last year with the Washington Nationals, who acquired him from the Padres for third baseman Vinny Castilla.

Things didn't work out for Lawrence in Washington, but while Castilla is getting used to his new role as a special assistant to Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd, Lawrence is being given a chance to resurrect his career.

Born in Fort Collins, where he still has relatives, Lawrence, who grew up in Carthage, Texas, provides an interesting gamble for the Rockies. It comes at a relatively low price in the current baseball economy.

He was guaranteed $750,000 - a $500,000 base salary plus a $250,000 buyout on an option for 2008 that starts at $3 million but can escalate based on his performance in 2007.

In return, the Rockies are looking to reclaim a pitcher who won 44 games and pitched 819 1/3 innings for the Padres from 2002 to 2005, and is 4-2 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field.

"Coors Field is a mental take," he said. "I do pitch a little backwards there. I use my third and fourth pitch, my cutter and changeup, more than my first two pitches, my sinker and slider. You can't force anything there."

And the Rockies aren't looking for Lawrence to force anything in spring training.

"The only thing different from me than anybody else is I am taking an extra day (between games), but I'm here to make the team and go to Denver (for the start of the season)," he said. "I also have to be smart. If I feel something. . . . I don't want to jeopardize where I am. If I need extra time to get right, I need to take that time."

And the Rockies are ready to provide it to him.

Today's game

Rockies (Rodrigo Lopez) vs. White Sox (Javier Vazquez), 1:05 p.m., Tucson Electric Park (no television or radio).

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

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