SARASOTA, Fla. -- Left-handed reliever Jarlín García, pulled from the World Baseball Classic on Monday due to left arm tightness, will likely not pitch for several weeks, according to Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, a setback that could affect the complexion of the team¡¯s Opening Day roster.

Garc¨ªa, 30, is currently unable to grip a baseball, per Tomczyk, but the tests on Garc¨ªa¡¯s shoulder and elbow came back clean. Tomczyk said that it is uncommon for a pitcher to be unable to grip a baseball despite their tests coming back clean.

While the Pirates have described Garc¨ªa¡¯s injury as ¡°left arm tightness¡± since he left Saturday¡¯s outing against the Phillies, Tomczyk said the team is working to hone in on a more specific diagnosis. With one, the team can properly determine the severity of Garc¨ªa¡¯s injury and curate a timetable for his return.

¡°That¡¯s something that we¡¯re still learning, and our doctors are still vehemently trying to figure out what happened and how can we help him [find] the best way to move forward to get him to grip a baseball and ultimately throw,¡± Tomczyk said.

The Pirates have not officially ruled Garc¨ªa, who had a 3.74 ERA across 65 innings with the Giants last season, out of the Opening Day picture. Given his status, however, Garc¨ªa appears unlikely to be ready for Pittsburgh¡¯s first game on March 30, leaving the Pirates¡¯ brass to brainstorm who fills a vacant bullpen spot.

Jose Hernandez, the 25-year-old who the Pirates selected from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft, is the only left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. That said, the Pirates don¡¯t have a shortage of southpaws in camp. Along with Hernandez, Angel Perdomo, Caleb Smith, Daniel Zamora and Rob Zastryzny -- Zastryzny will be pitching for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic -- are in camp as well.

¡°I think the one thing that we did identify this offseason, even with Garc¨ªa, is we wanted to get left-handed depth -- and we have it,¡± said manager Derek Shelton. ¡°Even though it¡¯s non-roster depth, it is depth with guys that are in competition. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s just one guy. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s just [Jose] Hernandez who¡¯s on the [40-man] roster. We have other people that are in competition for spots in our bullpen. I feel like we¡¯re covered pretty well.¡±

Hernandez, who allowed four runs (three earned) on Wednesday, is arguably the most intriguing of Pittsburgh¡¯s current left-handed options.

He features a mid-to-high 90s fastball that can touch triple digits and a mid-80s slider with bite, a one-two combination that can play at the Major League level. The real intrigue lies in his inexperience and rawness; the 25-year-old hasn¡¯t pitched above Double-A, and while he can rack up the strikeouts (10.09 K/9), he struggles with command (4.19 BB/9). As a Rule 5 Draft pick, the Pirates must keep Hernandez on the 26-man roster for the entire season.

¡°The things that we identified when we took him in the Rule 5 Draft, I think we¡¯ve seen,¡± Shelton said. ¡°Overall, the impressions early on have been very positive."

Smith, 31, has the most Major League experience among the non-roster invitees, having appeared in 147 career games. Smith became a full-time reliever last season, posting a 4.11 ERA across 70 innings with the D-backs.

While most teams have multiple lefties in their bullpen, Shelton iterated that the Pirates will not carry multiple southpaws for the sake of doing so.

¡°We know that left-handers play well, especially at our ballpark, but it is a competition,¡± Shelton said. ¡°There is some meritocracy to what we do on our roster, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to add one because they¡¯re left-handed. There has to be a situation where we see it fits well in our bullpen.¡±

Garc¨ªa isn¡¯t the only reliever in camp dealing with an injury. Right-hander Robert Stephenson, another reliever who entered Spring Training with a strong chance of cracking the Opening Day roster, has yet to pitch this month due to right elbow discomfort, but the 30-year-old appears to be on the mend. Stephenson threw a side session on Tuesday, and he will throw another side session in the near future. If all goes well, Stephenson could appear in Spring Training games towards the end of camp.