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.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Tulowitzki was struck on the knuckles. The player was given X-rays which returned negative but he remains day to day with a bone bruise on his knuckles.

"It's swollen a little bit and he cut it up a little bit, too," Gibbons said. "It's a sensitive area, hands and all that."

Toronto slugger Jose Bautista was a late scratch due to 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 scoreless 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 groundballs all day long," Gibbons said of Colon and Sanchez.

Colon had six strikeouts, while Sanchez picked up four. Neither had 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 honored, 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 with Boston.

Mets: OF Michael Conforto left with back stiffness.

Blue Jays: Gibbons said DH-1B Edwin Encarnacion (oblique) is getting better. He could soon get at-bats in a minor league game. ... INF Ryan Goins didn't play due to flu-like symptoms.

Mets: An impressive matchup has Matt Harvey starting for a split-squad against Houston ace Dallas Keuchel on Thursday. Logan Verrett will start for the other squad against Boston's Joe Kelly.

Blue Jays: Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will start Thursday against Detroit's Matt Boyd.