Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo López is expected to land on the injured list after leaving Tuesday night’s 10–3 win over the Oakland Athletics with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. The team suspects a lat strain, and while no official diagnosis has been made yet, López is scheduled to undergo further evaluation.
Early exit raises concerns for Twins’ Ace
López, the team’s Opening Day starter and one of their most dependable arms, felt tightness in the back of his shoulder during the fifth inning. Despite completing the frame, he experienced the same discomfort while warming up for the sixth.“I tried to stay loose between innings, but it just didn’t feel right,” López said. “After three warmup pitches, I knew pushing it could’ve made things worse.”Manager Rocco Baldelli and head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta quickly responded to his signal from the mound. After a brief discussion, López left the game, clearly frustrated. “It sucks,” he said. “I hate missing starts. I hate the idea of this being serious. But I also know I have to listen to my body.”This is López’s second potential IL stint this season and will be out for 8-12 weeks. Earlier this season, he missed a couple of starts in April because of a hamstring strain. Before that, he’d been remarkably reliable, never missing a single start since joining the Twins.
Rotation plans shift as team awaits imaging results
With López likely sidelined, the Twins are already weighing their next move. They called up David Festa from Triple-A St. Paul, and he is expected to start Wednesday’s series finale in Sacramento. The current rotation includes Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, Zebby Matthews, and now Festa. Simeon Woods Richardson, who’s been working on his game in Triple-A, might get the call again if the Twins need another arm.Also Read: “Good thing with pitching and hitting”: Pablo Lopez reacts after twins scores historic 13th win despite players injuries Baldelli acknowledged the uncertainty but tried to stay optimistic. “It looks like a lat strain, but we need to wait for imaging before making decisions,” he said.In 2023, López earned an All-Star, and that strong performance has helped him compile a 2.82 ERA in his first 11 outings this season. Now that he is not playing, the Twins have to boost their efforts for the approaching key schedule.At this point, the team is proceeding slowly and hopes for good results.