An MRI awaits as the team anxiously awaits news on their ace pitcher.
Spring training is barely underway in Fort Myers, and the Minnesota Twins are already holding their breath over their top starting pitcher.
Pablo López had to cut his live batting practice session short after feeling elbow soreness, and the early exit is raising concerns for a team that cannot afford to lose him.
Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters that López would go for an MRI.
The news was first reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic, who noted that the Twins are being cautious with their right-hander as they sort through things.
The club is hoping the situation is nothing serious, but given everything López went through last season, there is reason for concern.
A Familiar Story for López
The problem for López is that this kind of thing keeps happening.
The 29-year-old was limited to just 14 starts in 2025 after dealing with a hamstring strain in April, a Grade 2 teres major strain in his throwing shoulder that cost him roughly three months starting in June, and then a right forearm strain in September that shut him down for the rest of the year.
He also underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2014 early in his minor league career, so his elbow has been through the wringer before.
When López was on the mound in 2025, he looked like one of the best pitchers in the American League with a 2.74 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 75.2 innings.
The stuff and command have never been the question, and the Twins gave him a four-year, $73.5 million extension back in 2023 because they believe he can pitch like an ace.
The problem has always been staying healthy long enough to show it.
What Losing López Would Mean for Minnesota
The Twins went 70-92 last season, their worst record since 2016, after tearing things down at the trade deadline by moving 11 players off the 40-man roster.
Minnesota hired Shelton to replace Rocco Baldelli and kept their core of López, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton, which suggests the front office wants to be competitive this year.
If López misses any real time, it would be a huge blow to a rotation that already has questions beyond the top two spots.
Ryan and López are the clear anchors, with Bailey Ober behind them and then younger arms like Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley and Zebby Matthews fighting for the final rotation spots.
Without López, the Twins would be asking one of those unproven pitchers to step into a much bigger role far sooner than planned.
Waiting on the MRI
Minnesota also has to factor in that López committed to pitching for Team Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Any setback now could change that timeline and ripple into the early part of the regular season.
For a team already operating with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball and leaning on internal solutions at nearly every position, losing López for any stretch would put enormous pressure on a young roster.
The MRI results will tell the Twins whether this is just a minor scare or something that could reshape their pitching plan heading into 2026.