Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Minnesota Twins couldn’t even get through their first full-squad workout of spring training without an injury scare.
Twins ace Pablo López left the mound during a live batting practice session Monday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, reporting elbow soreness.
López had been scheduled to throw three simulated innings, a heavier workload than most pitchers in camp, as he ramps up to pitch for Team Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. López’s participation in the World Baseball Classic is now also in jeopardy.
Manager Derek Shelton said the decision to pull López was made out of an abundance of caution. López will undergo imaging on his elbow, and until those results are in, there is no clear read on the severity of the issue.
The timing is alarming given López’s recent medical history. In 2025, he suffered a hamstring strain that cost him 14 games, then missed three months with a right teres major strain in his throwing shoulder. He returned in September, only to be shut down again with a right forearm strain after just three starts.
Despite all of that, he managed a sparkling 2.74 ERA across 75⅔ innings in 14 starts.
Results of the imaging are expected Tuesday.
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