Pablo López to Undergo Tomm y John Surgery
Pablo López, the right-handed pitcher for the Twins, is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Earlier in the week, Minnesota disclosed that López had a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his throwing elbow. He sought a second opinion, but the outcome pointed clearly to the same conclusion: the procedure is necessary.
This will be López’s second Tommy John surgery, the first having occurred more than ten years ago. He will miss the entire 2026 season and hopes to be ready for the start of the 2027 campaign, which would also mark the final year of his four-year, $73.5 million contract with the Twins. López is scheduled to earn $21.75 million in both the current season and the next.
The Twins acquired López, along with two prospects, from the Marlins in the January 2023 trade that sent Luis Arraez to Miami. Over the past three seasons, López has been a dependable force at the top of Minnesota’s rotation, posting a 3.68 ERA with notably strong rate stats (26.8% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate, and 43.1% ground-ball rate). Advanced measures like SIERA (3.48) and FIP (3.44) suggest he has performed a touch better than his ERA would indicate.
In 2025, López started the year fast, posting a 2.82 ERA with his usual strong rates through his first 11 starts (60 2/3 innings). A Grade 2 strain of his teres major, suffered in early June, sidelined him for roughly three months. He returned for three strong September outings, allowing four runs in 15 innings, before ending the season on the injured list due to a minor forearm strain.
The Twins indicated after the season that López could have pitched through the forearm issue if they had been contending, but chose to shut him down as their season was already over. He later received a clean bill of health and had a relatively normal offseason. The UCL tear apparently emerged during his first spring bullpen session.
Minnesota’s winter did not feature a full rebuild despite the bullpen being dismantled at last summer’s trade deadline. After initial uncertainty about the approach to the offseason, ownership changes—specifically a minority-stake sale to three new shareholders—provided the front office with room to make a few modest additions. Free agent signings included Victor Caratini, Josh Bell, and Taylor Rogers. The Twins chose not to trade López, rotation partner Joe Ryan, catcher Ryan Jeffers (a free agent next winter), or franchise center fielder Byron Buxton.
New executive chair Tom Pohlad has emphasized a commitment to competing and believes the roster is better positioned to contend than outsiders might think. The club briefly pursued Framber Valdez and Freddy Peralta in late offseason moves, but neither deal materialized. That said, those efforts hint that Minnesota could still explore outside-the-organization options, where veterans like Lucas Giolito and former Twin Zack Littell remain unsigned.
With López out for the year, Joe Ryan is likely to start Opening Day on the mound. Bailey Ober aims to rebound from a tough June and a hip injury that followed, while Simeon Woods Richardson, who posted a 4.04 ERA across 111 1/3 innings last season, sits near certain rotation consideration given his recent performance and minor-league options status.
Homegrown former top prospects Zebby Matthews and David Festa will vie for a spot in the rotation alongside deadline additions Taj Bradley and Mick Abel, while prospects such as Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, and Andrew Morris could join the fray depending on health and Triple-A performance as the season unfolds.
