DENVER -- When manager Grady Little met with the media two hours before Thursday night's game, Derek Lowe was still undergoing his MRI, so there was no update on the pitcher's strained groin muscle.

Randy Wolf, however, had rejoined the club after his Wednesday night start on a Minor League rehabilitation assignment for Class A Inland Empire. Wolf was charged with three runs in four innings and sounded like he's had a dose of reality as he recovers from a shoulder impingement.

Wolf originally was hoping to return to the Dodgers rotation after just one Minor League start. Reading between the lines, it might take more than two. He made 62 pitches, and considering the weary bullpen, the Dodgers really can't afford to put him back into the rotation until he's pushing 100 pitches.

"It's tough on our bullpen to go from 60 pitches to drop into a game," Wolf said. "That's not exactly fair."

He said he was "a little stiff" because he hadn't pitched since July 3, and a decision on his next assignment would be made in a day or two, but he talked about "a conservative approach," which translated means he's not ready.

"I've learned to leave decisions [on returning] to the medical staff," he said. "I've learned, when it comes to an athlete trying to get back, they try sooner than they probably should. I'll listen to them."

Wolf allowed two home runs and called his changeup "terrible," which he said is normal when he's rusty. He said the injury to Lowe makes it even harder for him to remain disabled.

"But we do have 60 games left," Wolf said. "You don't want to burn the first 20 and have the last 40 running on blanks. As hard as it is mentally and emotionally, you have to do the right thing."

Saito live: After missing a week with an irritated shoulder blade, closer Takashi Saito was ready for action Thursday night, already providing some relief for his manager.

"I used to think one of the worst things is to have a bona fide closer on the team, like Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera, and have him blow a save," said Little. "I was completely wrong. The worst thing is to have the unavailability of the guy for a week. That's worse. But he's ready to go and we're glad to have him back."

Little on Lowe: The manager voiced no second thoughts about asking Lowe to pitch in relief last Sunday. It was warming up for that one-inning stint that Lowe did not stretch and suffered a groin injury that might land him on the disabled list for the first time in his career.

"I would never put a guy in the 'pen unless he was ready and willing to do it," Little said. "He's done it in the past."

Lowe, a former closer for the Red Sox, relieved once last year for the Dodgers.

Team meeting: Little held a team meeting before the game, but said it was a collective meeting of the pitchers and hitters to go over the Rockies. Normally, the two groups meet separately.

"They're hot," he said of the Rockies. "We have a lot of respect for their bats and how they play in their park. You've got to make the pitches and make the plays. You better be ready to play nine innings."

Betemit gets the nod: Little followed through on his Wednesday comment that he would rest Jeff Kent and start Wilson Betemit at second base in the series opener, even though Betemit is 0-for-5 with two strikeouts against Rockies starter Rodrigo Lopez.

Little wanted Kent to play all three games in Houston (he went 7-for-11). Little also wanted to give him a day off, but not Friday or Saturday, because Kent is 13-for-27 with five homers against Josh Fogg and 6-for-13 against Jeff Francis.

It's Betemit's first start at second base as a Dodger, although he played 11 games there for the Atlanta Braves without committing an error.

"If you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere," said Betemit, who came up as a shortstop.

His second-base partner in rookie ball? Current Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Loney returns: The game marked the first at Coors Field for James Loney since he went off for nine RBIs last Sept. 28, tying Gil Hodges' franchise record.

"That was a crazy game," said Loney. "I've thought about it coming back here and a lot of people have told me they saw the game on TV. It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't had so many people on base. Nobody would even be talking about it."

Coming up: Brett Tomko (2-7, 5.42 ERA) opposes Fogg (5-6, 4.84) on Friday night.