This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding¡¯s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- After arriving in a trade with the Rays, right-handed pitcher Germán Márquez introduced himself to the Rockies¡¯ organization by making 21 starts for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. But he wasn¡¯t introduced to Hartford until Thursday night.

Dressed in a special Yard Goats Fourth of July uniform, M¨¢rquez threw 70 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in his next-to-last planned injury rehab start in his comeback from Tommy John surgery last year. He yielded two runs (one earned) on five hits, one walk and two strikeouts in Hartford¡¯s 7-3 loss to Binghamton.

While the important result was M¨¢rquez getting through the game healthy -- considering he is on track to join the Rockies when they meet the Mets at Citi Field next week -- he could appreciate the chance to complete a circle he never did in 2016.

Because of construction delays, the 2016 Yard Goats played their entire schedule on the road. It all turned out fine when Dunkin¡¯ Park opened in ¡®17. And now M¨¢rquez has seen it for himself -- and has been seen by a sellout crowd of 7,361.

¡°I couldn¡¯t pitch here in 2016, but it feels good to pitch here in this stadium,¡± said M¨¢rquez, who, if the Rockies keep him on the normal four days¡¯ rest, will get to know Hartford folks better on Tuesday night at home against Portland.

Pitching more toward building for the Majors than a game plan for Binghamton, M¨¢rquez leaned heavily on the fastball in the first two innings, and registered 98 mph a few times. He mixed after that.

With one walk coming after he had left the mound with a 3-2 count (having reached his limit) and a run scoring on a passed ball, it¡¯s clear he pitched better than his line. But his line wasn¡¯t of utmost importance.

¡°I wanted to set my fastball first, I wanted to hit my spots,¡± M¨¢rquez said. ¡°Then I wanted to work on my breaking balls. They were good. Those [Binghamton] kids were ready and they fouled them off. It felt good to go out there and battle.

¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to be away from the [Rockies] team. This is the first time I¡¯ve been through that process. I¡¯ve got to work hard to be good in the big leagues.¡±

M¨¢rquez¡¯s return will put the Rockies a little closer to the rotation they envisioned when they signed him (a two-year, $20 million extension through ¡®25), Kyle Freeland (five years, $64.5 million through ¡®26) and Antonio Senzatela (five years, $50.5 million through ¡®26). M¨¢rquez and Senzatela each underwent right elbow surgery last year, and Freeland missed 10 weeks this season with a left elbow strain.

The returns to health and form of the trio could shorten the Rockies¡¯ rebuild.