Twins' Pablo López Facing Potential Season-Ending Elbow Injury

Pablo Lopez's 2026 season is in jeopardy with word out of Minnesota Twins spring training igniting fears that he may need Tommy John surgery after ending a bullpen session with elbow soreness on Monday.

According to Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll, Lopez has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, and they are weighing surgery or rehab for the 29-year-old staff ace.

Lopez finished with a 2.74 ERA last season, but he was limited to 14 starts due to a right shoulder strain that sidelined him for two months in June and a right forearm strain that ended his season early in September.

Lopez dealt with injuries during the first four seasons of his career, from 2018 to 2021, in Miami. He started more than 20 games just twice in those four years, never topping 21. After a full season of health and 32 starts in 2022, the Twins traded batting champion Luis Arraez to the Marlins for Lopez, who made 32 starts in 2023 and 2024, earning an All-Star selection and finishing seventh in Cy Young award vote in his first season in Minnesota.

If Lopez misses significant time, the Twins will lean on 2025 All-Star Joe Ryan as the No. 1 starter. Behind him will likely be a mix of Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews.