HOUSTON -- Calling it the “best-case scenario,” Astros pitcher Jake Odorizzi could miss only two turns through the rotation after he was diagnosed with a right pronator muscle strain. The Astros placed him on the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game against the Mariners.

Odorizzi left Saturday’s game against the Angels after just five pitches when his velocity dipped markedly from his season averages and he felt tightness in his forearm. He was examined by a team doctor on Sunday and had an MRI, which revealed no structural damage.

“Pretty positive, to be honest,” Odorizzi said. “Hopefully, this takes 10 days and I will be ready to go. I’m feeling better every day. It’s a pretty positive thing. I think it’s pretty optimistic to think it’s very short term as opposed to what some of the stuff when you hear forearm, elbow area.”

Odorizzi, who signed with the Astros on March 8, is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in three starts, allowing nine runs and 10 hits in eight innings this year.

Right-hander Peter Solomon was recalled from the alternate training site to take Odorizzi’s spot on the roster. Odorizzi said he could begin throwing in the next couple of days with the hopes of getting back on the mound to throw in the bullpen this weekend at Tampa Bay.

“When I came out, I didn’t think it was anything too serious,” he said. “I’m as happy as I could be with the diagnosis and the MRI to back it up, and we’ll go on with the process and sooner rather than later I’ll be back out there.”

Astros manager Dusty Baker didn’t say who would start Thursday’s series finale against the Mariners, but the prime candidate is lefty Kent Emanuel. He relieved Odorizzi on Saturday and threw 8 2/3 innings in his Major League debut in the longest relief outing by a pitcher in the Major Leagues since 1988.

“I want to give him a little bit of recognition because that’s something that doesn’t need to go by the wayside in all of this,” Odorizzi said. “It’s one of the coolest things I think I’ve ever seen from just a pure team effort. This guy rolled out to the mound and pretty much threw a complete game against a division rival. Hats off to him for doing that. He deserves a lot of notoriety for that.”