After Second Opinion, Twins Get Brutal Mick Abel Injury News

Abel will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his pitching elbow.

Feb 23, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Mick Abel (20) pitches during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Twins had seemingly avoided bad news on starting pitcher Mick Abel after a recent setback, with manager Derek Shelton telling reporters on Monday that Abel's MRI revealed no ligament damage. But Shelton did say that they would be getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, which meant Abel and the Twins weren't completely in the clear just yet.

On Wednesday, the bad news struck. Upon Meister's examination, arthroscopic surgery on Abel's right elbow has been recommended. He'll undergo the surgery and will be out indefinitely, with no set timetable for recovery until after the operation takes place.

Mick Abel will have arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow after a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 24, 2026

This is a brutal blow for the Twins, who were seemingly about to get Abel back in their rotation. He had looked sharp in two rehab outings for Triple-A St. Paul and was tentatively set to make his MLB return last Sunday in Arizona before experiencing discomfort following a Friday bullpen session.

Abel now, at least speculatively, seems likely to miss the remainder of the 2026 season. Arthroscopic surgery, which is a "minimally invasive surgery on a joint," is not nearly as severe as something like Tommy John surgery. Still, it'll almost certainly require at least a few months of recovery, and there are only three months left in baseball's regular season.

The only hope might be the theoretical possibility that Abel could opt for a similar procedure to the one that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal underwent this year. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed a cutting-edge, even-less-invasive NanoScope procedure to remove a loose body from Skubal's pitching elbow in early May. He was back on an MLB mound around five weeks later. It's unclear if that would be an option on the table for Abel and the Twins.

Elbow issues have derailed what could've been a breakout season for Abel, who the Twins acquired from the Phillies in last summer's Jhoan Duran trade. He had a stellar spring training and then, after a couple rough starts to begin his regular season, looked ace-like in throwing 13 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts over his next two starts.

But just four starts into his season, Abel was sidelined with right elbow inflammation. He then suffered a setback related to his triceps, extending his absence. That was eventually followed by this latest setback and the decision to fix his recurring elbow issues with surgery.

It's been a tough year of starting pitcher injuries for the Twins, who lost Pablo Lopez for the season before it began and are also currently without Bailey Ober.