Twins hoping for best after concerning Pablo Lopez news

The Minnesota Twins' hopes for the 2026 season may have already taken a significant hit.

Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that pitcher Pablo Lopez felt soreness in his right elbow. He is slated to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of his injury.

Lopez missed time in 2025 due to several injuries. He spent 15 days on the Injured List in April due to a strained right hamstring and missed two months with a grade 2 teres major strain in his right shoulder. Lopez returned for three starts in September before he was shut down with a strained right forearm. Although imaging did not show anything wrong with his elbow or ulnar collateral ligament, Lopez having elbow soreness this early in spring training is a concern.

Pablo Lopez injury could doom Minnesota Twins season before it begins

The Twins resisted pressure to part with Lopez and fellow pitcher Joe Ryan during the offseason, despite trading virtually anything of value at the 2025 trade deadline. Instead, the Twins held on to both pitchers, as well as outfielder Byron Buxton, with a stated goal of contending for the playoffs in 2026.

Losing Lopez for a significant amount of time would severely damage those hopes. He was excellent when he was able to take the mound in 2025, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 1.110 WHiP over his 75.2 innings, striking out 73 batters with 20 walks. 

The Twins rotation is filled with question marks aside from Lopez and Ryan. If Lopez, who is one of the best starters in the American League, is sidelined for any length of time, the Twins may need to push their playoff hopes back to 2027.