Minnesota Twins star pitcher Pablo Lopez faces a lengthy recovery after suffering a major tear to the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, team General Manager Jeremy Zoll announced on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old right-handed ace may require Tommy John surgery, which would end his 2025 season. Lopez is seeking additional medical opinions before making a final decision on treatment.
The injury became apparent during Monday’s live batting practice session, which Lopez had to stop early. Manager Derek Shelton described the issue at the time as “a little bit of elbow soreness.”
Lopez was participating in spring training activities at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, where he pitched more than two innings against live batters. He had been getting ready to represent Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
The veteran pitcher, who celebrates his 30th birthday on March 7, has dealt with multiple injuries recently. Despite making 32 starts in both 2022 and 2024, Lopez spent time on the injured list three separate times in 2025 due to hamstring, shoulder muscle, and forearm problems. He finished with a 5-4 record and 2.74 ERA across 14 starts, pitching 75 2/3 innings.
Throughout his eight-year major league career split between Miami (2018-2022) and Minnesota, Lopez has compiled a 59-53 record with a 3.81 ERA. The 2023 All-Star has struck out 994 batters while walking 251 over 965 innings pitched across 172 career starts. He is currently in the third year of a four-year contract worth $73.5 million that he signed in 2023.
