(Reuters) - Tiger Woods received some welcome news on the injury front when he was diagnosed with nothing more than a mild strain of his left Achilles tendon and the former world number one hopes to return to practice later in the week.

Woods looked in discomfort when he pulled out of the final round at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on the 12th hole on Sunday with soreness in the same Achilles that forced him to miss time last year.

Woods is hopeful he will be fit to play next week at Bay Hill.

"Got good news from doc tonight. Only mild strain of left Achilles. Can resume hitting balls late in week and hopeful for next week," Woods said on his Twitter account on Monday.

The strain is on the same Achilles that Woods injured during last year's Masters, which forced him to miss three months and two majors.

The 36-year-old is scheduled to play the March 22-25 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando,Florida, which will be his final tournament before the April 5-8 Masters.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Rutherford)