Felix Hernandez Suffers Groin Injury on Opening Day in Mariners vs. Astros

Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez left Monday's game against the Houston Astros with a tight groin, per Greg Johns of MLB.com.

He lasted five innings in Seattle's first game of the year and allowed two earned runs.

On Tuesday, Mariners manager Scott Servais said Hernandez was receiving treatment on his groin and is hopeful he'll be ready to start on Saturday, per Bob Dutton of The News Tribune.

Hernandez is no longer the overpowering flamethrower he was during the early stages of his career. He's adapted to his reduced velocity in recent years and continued putting up solid numbers atop the Mariners rotation at 30 years old.

The Venezuela native has also remained highly durable throughout his career. He's made just three trips to the disabled list since breaking into the majors in 2005. One of those did come during the 2016 campaign as the result of a calf strain, though.

If the latest ailment forces Hernandez out of the rotation, Rob Whalen could receive a chance to fill the void. The good news for Seattle is that it features a deep starting rotation, including Hisashi Iwakuma, which should help the team avoid a major drop-off.

Hernandez should slide back into his usual role as the team's top starter once he's healthy. The Mariners will just hope the injury concerns don't become more common now that he's no longer in his 20s.