The Minnesota Twins might be the worst team in the majors in 2026 — and that possibility grew more real with word that right-hander Pablo Lopez could miss the entire season.
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman reported Lopez has a torn elbow ligament in his right arm, and “surgery is very much on the table,” according to Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll. Lopez cut short a live batting practice session Monday because of discomfort in his right elbow.
Lopez, who will turn 30 on March 7, has been with the Twins for the past three seasons after being traded from the Miami Marlins. With the Twins, he is 31-22 with a 3.68 ERA and one All-Star appearance (2023).
The Twins possibly losing Pablo Lopez for the 2026 season is a major blow to their rebuild
After staging a midseason fire sale last year — dealing 10 players from the major league roster at the trade deadline — the Twins opened spring training with Lopez as one of few holdovers. He has surfaced in trade talks for the past two seasons as the club looks to trim payroll; per Spotrac, Lopez is owed $43.4 million over the next two years of his contract.
Up until last season, Lopez had shown himself to be one of the more durable starters in baseball, making 32 starts each season from 2022-24, with a career high of 194 innings in 2023. 2025 proved to be the warning sign for Lopez’s elbow issues, as he was limited to 14 starts after dealing with a right forearm strain.
Lopez potentially missing the season would undercut the Twins’ ability to flip him for prospects to aid their rebuild. They still have pieces they could market — notably right-hander Joe Ryan and outfielder Byron Buxton, if he were to waive his no-trade clause — but losing Lopez would push the club even further behind the eight ball.