DENVER -- As Clint Barmes sat out a month to rehab his sprained right knee, he remained positive that his swing wouldn't disappear like it did in 2005, when he missed three months with a broken collarbone.

So far, it hasn't gone quite as Barmes planned. He sat out the past three games after going 2-for-17 since he returned on June 23. But Barmes will get another chance on Thursday, when he starts at second base and bats second in the lineup. Jeff Baker, who has received a majority of playing time at second recently, will play first base with Todd Helton resting his sore back.

"I don't think anything was going wrong with my mechanics," Barmes said. "My approach was pretty good. The biggest part was that my zone expanded a little bit, so I was chasing some balls that earlier I wasn't trying to hit."

Barmes was hitting a blistering .343 with five home runs and 20 RBIs before he sustained the injury on May 23, but he never looked comfortable at the plate during the team's recent six-game road trip. He grounded into two inning-ending double plays with the bases loaded in a five-game span, a sign that he was trying too hard.

"It's just slowing back down and staying within myself," Barmes said. "That's the biggest issue for me at this point."

Manager Clint Hurdle sat Barmes during the Rockies' three-game series with the Padres so that he could refocus and concentrate on using his hands to hit inside fastballs better.

"We gave him some time to work on the foundation of his swing," Hurdle said. "That being said, he's back in the two-slot. I want him to hit with confidence, not feel for the ball."