Texas Rangers reliever Kyuji Fujikawa will start the regular season getting under way Monday on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained right groin, the club announced on Saturday.
Retroactive to April 1, Fujikawa will not be available to pitch until April 16 at the earliest.
"(My condition) is getting better so I'm not pessimistic," said Fujikawa. "If I bear it for two or three days I will be able to play no problem, (but) if I overdo it, this will really drag on."
Fujikawa complained of discomfort in his groin after pitching in a preseason game against his former team, the Chicago Cubs, on March 31 and got checked out by a team doctor on Friday.
The right-hander struggled this spring with a 6.43 ERA in seven preseason games.