Pablo López’s season is over before it even began.
The Minnesota Twins’ starting pitcher has “significant tearing” in his ulnar collateral ligament, general manager Jeremy Zoll said Tuesday via MLB.com’s Matthew Leach. At the time, Zoll said Tommy John surgery was “very much on the table.”
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López got a second opinion on his elbow this week and revealed Friday that he will indeed require elbow surgery and miss all of 2026. It’ll be the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
The 29-year-old right-hander cut short a Monday bullpen session after he felt soreness in his elbow. The two-inning workout was part of the pitcher’s preparation ahead of representing Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. He will no longer participate in the tournament.
The Twins’ Opening Day starter each of the past three seasons, López made only 14 starts during an injury-hampered 2025. He landed on the injured list in early June due to a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right shoulder.
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Three months later, López returned to action but made only three more starts before his season came to an end due to a right forearm strain.
In three seasons since coming over in a trade with the Miami Marlins for Luis Arráez, López has made 78 starts for the Twins, throwing 455 innings, striking out 505 batters and recording a 1.16 WHIP. He was an All-Star in 2023.
The Twins went 70-92 last season and finished last in the AL Central. They have made the playoffs just four times since 2017 and have won only one playoff series — the 2023 AL wild card — since 2002.