The Minnesota Twins announced disastrous Pablo Lopez news on Tuesday. The Twins’ ace is facing a torn elbow ligament that could wipe out his entire 2026 campaign. Season-ending surgery is very much on the table, and the rotation dread is already setting in.
Minnesota Twins Announce Pablo Lopez Elbow Injury on Tuesday, Feb. 17
General manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed to reporters on Tuesday, Feb. 17, that Lopez has a torn elbow ligament, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Lopez is seeking a second opinion, but the vast majority of UCL tears require surgical repair — whether that’s an internal brace procedure or a full Tommy John reconstruction. Either path would end his season before it starts.
Lopez’s Elbow Scare Escalated Fast
The timeline here is brutal. Lopez exited a live BP session on the first full day of spring training on Sunday after throwing two innings and feeling discomfort. Minnesota’s front office called it precautionary at the time and scheduled an MRI for the next day.
What makes this particularly gut-wrenching is the pattern. The righty managed only 14 turns on the mound last year, totaling roughly 75 innings before a shoulder strain wiped out his summer and a forearm issue ended things for good in September. His entire throwing arm has been under siege for the better part of two years now, and this latest diagnosis feels like the final domino falling.
What Minnesota Loses Without Lopez
When Lopez is healthy, he’s one of the best pitchers in the American League. He posted a 2.74 ERA before the injuries shortened his 2025 campaign, and before that, he logged 180-plus innings in three consecutive seasons from 2022 through 2024 — earning an All-Star nod and a seventh-place Cy Young finish in 2023.
Remember, Minnesota gave up a batting title winner in Arraez to acquire López — that’s how highly they valued this arm. That’s the caliber of pitcher they’re now staring at losing for an entire year.
Twins’ Rotation Without López
Without their ace, the burden falls squarely on Joe Ryan — last year’s All-Star selection — to carry the rotation. After Ryan, you’re looking at some mix of Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Zebby Matthews filling out a staff, with the latter portion of the group likely duking it out in the spring for back-half starting spots.
There’s young arm depth throughout the system, but none of those names carry the same proven ceiling as a healthy Lopez. Spring training is three days old, and the Twins are already in scramble mode — and that tells you everything about what this ace means to this franchise.
Twins Announce Disastrous Pablo Lopez News Amid Spring Training