SAN DIEGO -- Rockies manager Bud Black on Monday announced that right-hander Ryan Feltner will return from a skull fracture and face the Padres on Tuesday.

Feltner sustained a skull fracture on May 13, when he was hit in the right side of the head by a line drive off the bat of the Phillies¡¯ Nick Castellanos. After recovering, Feltner posted a 2.61 ERA over three Minor League rehab starts -- the last two with Triple-A Albuquerque.

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After the harrowing injury Feltner sustained, a big test is when the ball comes back to the mound. Well, in his first game, pitching for High-A Spokane, he received an even more difficult test.

¡°I threw a two-seam to a righty,¡± Feltner said. ¡°The bat came to one side and the ball came to the other. ¡­ I was like, of course, my first game.¡±

The original plan was for Feltner to make one more start at Albuquerque and finish with two in the Majors. But injuries to Peter Lambert and Kyle Freeland left the Rockies in need of pitching. Feltner called pitching coach Darryl Scott to lobby for a return. The right-hander will be limited to around 80 pitches against the Padres.