Pablo López (elbow) starts throwing progression

They sent Pablo López (elbow) to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Kent has been DFA’d and claimed off waivers four times since the end of the 2025 season. He figures to be a back-end piece for the Twins if he makes the roster.

It’s broadly good news that López’s surgery was “less invasive” than a standard Tommy John surgery. Assuming he’s able to look good in his build up and has no setbacks, a return in the first half of the 2027 season will be on the table for the star starter. López will be on the final year of his four-year, $73.5 million contract in 2027. “This is the better of the two surgeries,” Twins athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. “We’re pretty excited about that. Pablo is excited about that as well.”

The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise after the 29-year-old hurler was diagnosed with significant tearing of his UCL earlier in the week. It’s a brutal break for the Twins as López was set to anchor their starting rotation heading into the 2026 season. He’ll now miss the entire year — and possibly the start of the 2027 season as well, while recovering from the procedure.

López is heading for a second opinion, but Zoll conceded that season-ending surgery is an option. The 29-year-old hurler was limited to just 14 starts during the 2025 season due to forearm, shoulder and hamstring issues. He then experienced soreness in his elbow while throwing a live batting practice session on Monday. The Twins should provide another update after López gets his second opinion, but the unfortunate expectation is that he won’t pitch at all during the 2026 season.

Some soreness is to be expected early in spring camp, and the Twins are calling it completely precautionary, but you never want to hear about pitchers needing to get imaging done on their elbow. All Twins’ fans and fantasy managers can do now is wait and hope for the best. Look for the Twins to provide an update on the right-hander’s status as soon as more information becomes available.

It’s hard to see how López was cleared when so many others ran into insurance issues, but the Twins have indicated that he was slated to be fully healthy this spring. Ranger Suárez and Eduardo Rodríguez should also be a part of Venezuela’s rotation. The lineup should look something like: RF Ronald Acuña Jr., CF Jackson Chourio, C William Contreras, 1B Willson Contreras, DH Salvador Perez, LF Wilyer Abreu, 3B Eugenio Suárez/Maikel Garcia, 2B Gleyber Torres/Luis Arraez, SS Andrés Giménez/Exequiel Tovar.

The expectation was that the Twins would consider the fire sale that they started at the trade deadline, but it appears as though they’re content to hold onto their best assets as they look to reload rather than rebuild for the 2026 season. That could put more pressure on the teams in the market for starting pitching via free agency as now there’s a two fewer quality options available.

Falvey added that López is expected to have a normal offseason after ending last year on the injured list with a forearm strain. The 29-year-old right-hander was limited to just 14 starts because of forearm, shoulder, and hamstring issues, yet still posted an excellent 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 73/20 K/BB ratio across 75 2/3 innings. The durability concerns aren’t going away as he moves into his 30’s, but his per-inning performance keeps him firmly in the top-40 starter conversation for fantasy drafts next spring.

The good news is that an MRI revealed that his UCL is fully intact and he isn’t dealing with any structural damage. Had this been earlier in the season, it’s likely that he would have missed just one start before being able to rejoin the Twins’ rotation. It shouldn’t impact his ability to go through his regular off-season routine, and he should be fully recovered and ready to go for the start of spring training. Mick Abel was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take his spot in the Twins’ rotation.

López will undergo further evaluation and imaging this weekend after suffering a forearm injury while making a diving play during the third inning of Friday’s start. The 29-year-old ace is questionable to make his final regular-season start this week against the Rangers, especially since the Twins are out of playoff contention. There should be an update on his status at some point in the coming days.