Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Veteran slugger Carlos Delgado announced his retirement on Wednesday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, saying he was unable to work his way back to the majors after years of being hampered by injuries.

Delgado, widely regarded as one of baseball’s most productive hitters in his prime, retired with 473 career home runs and ownership of several Toronto Blue Jays all-time offensive records.

“I always said I would try to return until my body had enough. And my body could take no more,” the 38-year-old Delgado said Wednesday. “I’ve been training two years and recently tried yet again to increase the routine of work, but the swing was not there to compete at the level I want,” he added.

“There comes a moment when you have to have the dignity and the sense to recognize that something is not functioning,” he said. “You can’t swim against the current.”

In the 17 seasons he played as an outfielder, first baseman and designated hitter with the Blue Jays, Florida Marlins and New York Mets, Delgado hit 30-plus home runs 11 times and cracked the 40-homer plateau three times. He was an All-Star in 2000 and 2003.

Delgado signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 1988 and spent parts of 11 seasons in Toronto. He played one season in Florida before joining the Mets in 2006. He led New York to the playoffs that season — its most recent postseason appearance — with 38 home runs and 114 RBIs.

In the 2006 playoffs, Delgado batted .351 (13 for 37) with four home runs and 11 RBIs as the Mets came within a game of reaching the World Series.

Delgado struggled with hip injures his last few seasons, limiting his ability to play. His last major league appearance came as a Met in 2009, as his attempt to catch on with the Boston Red Sox last season ended after five games at Triple-A Pawtucket.

The pain that usually struck every training session was too much to endure, Delgado said.

“And this coming from a man who had nine operations,” he said. “It is a sad moment as a human being and athlete that some of your abilities aren’t what they once were.”

Delgado won the Hank Aaron Award in 2000, the Silver Slugger Award in 1999, 2000 and 2003, and the Roberto Clemente Award in 2006.

“The time I played I enjoyed it big,” Delgado said of his career. “No excuses, no complaints. When I signed to play professional baseball I knew my body would suffer.”

Delgado said he was proud to have represented Puerto Rico in the majors.

“I’ve always carried the flag of Puerto Rico in my heart,” he said. “I respected the game and tried to do things the right way. I can look in the mirror and say ‘I did my best.’ ”

His former Mets teammates cited him as a clubhouse role model.

“He was unbelievable for us when he was healthy, and he taught me how to play the right way,” former teammate Jose Reyes said Tuesday in Denver, according to the New York Daily News. “We were one victory from the World Series and he did everything he could to get us there.”

Delgado’s most complete season may have been in 2000 with Toronto, where he played in all 162 games, collected 196 hits — including 41 home runs and an American League-best 57 doubles — and posted career highs in batting average (.344) and slugging percentage (.664).

He still owns Blue Jays records for most runs (889), doubles (343), home runs (336), RBIs (1,058), walks (827) and strikeouts (1,242).

Delgado, who received a rocking chair with a plaque that read: “Puerto Rico Home Run King,” said he will dedicate the next six months to his wife and young son and daughter before becoming involved in baseball at a local level.

Lou Melendez, vice president of international affairs for Major League Baseball, said he was looking forward to working with Delgado.

“I have a partner who will help me promote baseball in Puerto Rico,” he said.

Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com and The Associated Press contributed to this report.