"Todd Helton didn't turn any corners or rediscover any lost youth Wednesday, but he did have two hits, his first multihit game since June 24.

If Helton is going to salvage some satisfaction from this season, now is the time. Whether or not he does it remains to be seen, but this much is certain: Having spent almost a month on the disabled list, fatigue won't be a factor.

"I hope so," said Helton, when asked if the rest he received could be a silver lining. "I felt better (Wednesday) than I did (Tuesday), so that's a positive thing. I had some good swings and some bad ones, but I felt better."

Those two hits won't lead to two more today. Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Helton wouldn't start the road trip opener against the Pirates."