While Jeff Francis worked Sunday to get back to the Rockies, Greg Smith’s mind had to be wandering.

Smith, like Francis left-handed, broke spring in the major leagues, in part because Francis was hurt. Had Francis been ready, Smith might not have gotten a chance to pitch in the big leagues this year.

No wonder when asked to access his season, Smith, 26, said it was “kind of weird.”

He was the No. 2 starter for the Rockies in the early going, that after being limited to 49 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2009 with injuries.

“Having a good spring like that and breaking with the team because of an injury, that was a plus. I didn’t know if I was going to break with the team,’’ Smith said Saturday.

“I think when I was up there, I started trying too hard a little bit. I started having good results and then started trying to force good results and I think I got out of sorts. I came back down here and started to press and it kind of got away from me.’’

He was 1-2 in eight starts and 39 innings with the Rockies and got sent down when Francis was ready. But that would be a convenient way to put it. Smith was struggling with a 6.23 ERA and eight of the 49 hits he’d given up were home runs.

But when he came down to the Sky Sox, he had some disastrous pitching lines. The worst was July 25 against Salt Lake, when he gave up 12 runs on 10 hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.

After working four innings against Sacramento on July 30, he went on the disabled list for the second time and didn’t pitch again until Aug. 23.

“I had to take a step back, when I was on the DL the second time, and really regroup,” Smith said. “I think I made a good adjustment with my last three starts.”

And the good results started to happen again. He had scoreless outings Fresno and Tacoma sandwiching a bounce-back 4 1/3 inning stint against Salt Lake, giving up only one earned run.

He’ll finish the Sky Sox season 2-5 in 15 starts over 75 innings, with a 6.12 ERA.

Smith, among those acquired by the Rockies in the Matt Holliday trade, broke into the big leagues in 2008 with the Oakland Athletics, going 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA in 32 starts and 190 1/3 innings. He tied a major-league record that year with 16 pickoffs.

– Matt Dorney

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