Todd Helton was dealing with health issues which prevented him from playing a full season in 2012. Now he's contemplating his departure from baseball.

The veteran infielder told Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post he will return for his seventeenth season with the Colorado Rockies - and it could be his final year.

Helton underwent hip surgery last August, after being diagnosed with a torn labrum, a condition which he tried to deal with having cortisone injections. Ultimately, there was a moment in which the pain was simply unbearable. He ended up appearing in 69 games last season, with a .238 batting average and 37 RBI.

He met with new Rockies manager Walt Weiss when he expressed his intentions of playing through 2013.

Thomas Harding of MLB.com also reports that Helton has a target for now: trying to go through the season's paces but he is conscious it is most probable that he will not be the starting first baseman, a job that could go to Michael Cuddyer, Tyler Colvin or Jordan Pacheco.