Rusin (oblique) will pitch Thursday for Triple-A Albuquerque, MLB.com's Thomas Harding reports.
Rusin's injury took him out of the competition for a rotation spot, but the Rockies still hope he can help the big-league squad as a middle/long reliever. He'll throw 45 pitches or three innings in Thursday's rehab appearance -- a workload which suggests he should be available April 12 when he's eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list