Blue Jay Troy Tulowitzki gets hit on the hand during the fourth inning on Wednesday in Dunedin, Fla.Chris O'Meara/The Associated Press
Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left in the fourth inning of the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday after being hit on the right hand by a pitch from Bartolo Colon.
The Blue Jays said X-rays were negative and that Tulowitzki is day-to-day with bruised knuckles.
"It's swollen a little bit and he cut it up a little bit, too," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "It's a sensitive area, hands and all that."
Toronto slugger Jose Bautista was a late scratch because of neck stiffness, a move Gibbons said was precautionary.
Coming off a start Friday against Washington in which he allowed eight runs over five innings, Colon limited the Blue Jays to three hits – including two by Darrell Ceciliani – over six runless innings.
Toronto's Aaron Sanchez, bidding to be the fifth starter, scattered four hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings. He has given up three earned runs in 19 2/3 innings and five appearances.
"They both get ground-balls all day long," Gibbons said of Colon and Sanchez.
Colon had six strikeouts, while Sanchez picked up four. Neither issued a walk.
"Bartolo was doing his thing out there," Sanchez said.
As expected, Gibbons said Marcus Stroman would start the opener April 3 at Tampa Bay.
"I'm honoured, I'm humbled," Stroman said after pitching in a minor-league game. Gibbons also didn't rule out Stroman taking the hill five days later in the home opener against Boston.
"[There's a] possibility we can do that, too," Gibbons said. "We've talked about it."
Stroman said starting both openers would be "awesome."
"I would definitely accept that and run with it," he said.
Despite missing the first five months last season after injuring his knee during fielding practice in March, Stroman returned for four starts in September, going 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA.
"This past year there were a lot of ups and downs," Stroman said. "I'm just thankful to be in the position I am. It's my first opening day. I can't wait."
Stroman also started Toronto's memorable come-from-behind triumph over Texas in the deciding Game 5 of the AL Division Series, then earned the win in Game 3 against Kansas City in the AL Championship Series.
Following the departure of 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner David Price to the Boston Red Sox, Stroman will be looked upon to fill the void.
"We sure hope so," Gibbons said. "You're not going to replace Price, that's pretty obvious. If we can get him to come close to what David normally does in a given year."
Toronto's next game is Thursday against Detroit, when knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will face the Tigers' Matt Boyd.