The Minnesota Twins suffered a major setback during their first full-squad workout, an elbow injury that likely will sideline ace Pablo Lopez for the entire season.
General manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters at the club’s spring training facility Tuesday that López has a “significant tear” in his right ulnar collateral ligament. He was seeking a second medical opinion but expected to need Tommy John surgery, Zoll said. López ended his bullpen session early on Monday after experiencing soreness in his throwing elbow.
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The team’s opening day starter in each of the past three years, López was grappling with a double disappointment with the probable loss of not only the upcoming major league season but the World Baseball Classic next month, when he was scheduled to pitch for his native Venezuela.
“I already feel I’m letting a lot of people down,” said López, who was limited to 75⅔ innings last year because of injuries. “I’m letting myself down. I’m letting the Twins down. I’m letting my family down.”
López, who turns 30 on March 7, is making $21.75 million this season. He is signed through next year.
“We know injuries are part of the game. You’re always trying to get through spring training as healthy as possible,” Zoll said. “It’s definitely a blow, but we’re going to just do the best we can to push forward.”
López made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2018 and spent five seasons with them before being traded to the Twins. López made the All-Star team in his first year with the Twins and helped the franchise end a record 18-game postseason losing streak for North American professional sports, going 2-0 with an 0.71 ERA in two starts in the 2023 playoffs.
When López was in the Seattle Mariners organization, he had Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2014 minor league season.
“We’re not designed to throw things that hard for an extended time,” López told reporters at the Lee Health Sports Complex. “Having done it once, I can do it again. Doesn’t mean I want to, but I’m going to have to and I know I can.”
López missed about three months last season with a shoulder injury. As the Twins were slashing payroll, he was mentioned often as a prime trade candidate, but the front office opted to keep him and right-hander Joe Ryan at the front of what was expected to be a strong rotation.
Now the Twins are missing their most important piece, with Ryan, an All-Star in 2025, now the ace and right-hander Bailey Ober under pressure to bounce back and be a reliable No. 2 starter.
Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews and David Festa are all 25-year-old right-handers who have combined to make 98 starts over the past two seasons, with at least one or two of them likely to make the opening rotation. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel were acquired in the flurry of trades during the week leading up to the deadline last summer and also are firmly in the mix.
“In a lot of ways, we view this as a real opportunity for someone to step up and take advantage of that,” Zoll said. “We’ll pick up the pieces once we have a better handle on things.”
