Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez ended his batting practice session early Monday after experiencing elbow discomfort during his third inning of work. The team plans to conduct imaging tests to assess the extent of the issue as Lopez prepares for the upcoming season.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez ended his live batting practice session early on Monday after experiencing elbow discomfort, team manager Derek Shelton confirmed to reporters.

Lopez was working out at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, the team’s spring training facility, as he prepares to represent Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic next month. The right-handed pitcher completed more than two innings facing live batters before the session was cut short.

During his third simulated inning, Lopez felt discomfort after delivering his second pitch and immediately stopped throwing. The 30-year-old pitcher, who celebrates his birthday on March 7, is set to undergo medical imaging to assess the extent of the problem as he enters his ninth major league season and fourth year with Minnesota.

“I mean, obviously, it’s February 16, and I think he and (pitching coach Pete Maki) had a little bit of a conversation on the second pitch he threw during the third up and felt some soreness,” Shelton told reporters. “And after he and Pete talked, we decided, out of an abundance of caution, let’s get him off, let’s get him off the field and make sure he’s OK. So, you know, we will have more information. We’ll get some imaging on it, just because of how important it is and he is to us.”

Lopez has been a reliable starter for Minnesota, making 32 starts in each season from 2022 through 2024. However, he faced multiple injury challenges in 2025, landing on the injured list three separate times due to a hamstring problem, a muscle issue in his throwing shoulder, and a forearm strain. Despite these setbacks, he posted a 5-4 record with a 2.74 ERA across 14 starts, pitching 75 2/3 innings.

“I don’t know if anybody in that room takes care of himself as well as Pablo does, not only during the season, but in the offseason,” Shelton said of Lopez, who has been Minnesota’s opening day starter for the past three seasons. “And the fact that he has awareness of his body, and he and Pete have a strong relationship, and we’re able to have a conversation. It was like, OK, let’s hold off and take a look here and kind of move on from that.”

Throughout his eight-year career split between the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins, Lopez has compiled a 59-53 record with a 3.81 ERA across 172 starts. He has recorded 994 strikeouts while allowing 251 walks over 965 innings pitched. The veteran pitcher is currently in the third year of a four-year contract worth $73.5 million that he signed in 2023.

Source: https://srnnews.com/twins-rhp-pablo-lopez-dealing-with-elbow-soreness/