Pablo Lopez Leaves Bullpen Session With Sore Elbow, MRI Scheduled

Minnesota's star pitcher is already dealing with an elbow injury at Spring Training.

Sep 15, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) waves to the crowd as he is introduced for being a Roberto Clemente award nominee before a game against the New York Yankees at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez reportedly ended a bullpen session early on Monday due to elbow soreness, and he's expected to undergo an MRI.

#MNTwins hope they’re being cautious with Pablo López, who exited his live BP early with elbow soreness.

Derek Shelton said López would go for an MRI.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 16, 2026

"We decided, out of an abundance of caution, let's get him off, let's get him off the field and make sure he's OK," new Twins manager Derek Shelton told the media. "We'll get some imaging on it, just because of how important it is and he is to us."

Lopez has been Minnesota's Opening Day starter during each of the last three seasons. He was limited to just 14 games last season, mostly due to a shoulder injury and a forearm strain at the end of the year. He finished the year with a 2,74 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched.

He reportedly threw two bullpen innings on Monday in Fort Myers during the early part of Minnesota's Spring Training before getting shut down with what Shelton called "a little bit of elbow soreness."

Lopez will turn 30 years old next month, and he has proven himself as one of the most underrated starting pitchers in baseball when healthy. He was an All-Star in 2023, and he's still one of the best starters on Minnesota's roster.

It's never a good sign to see your top pitcher leave any throwing session with elbow discomfort, especially when it was the Twins' first practice of the year. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014, which was just two years after he signed with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent in 2012. He hasn't missed any significant time due to elbow issues since then, but it's obviously still a situation worth monitoring.

Lopez was expected to join Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic, which starts on March 5. Those plans are now firmly in question. The Twins' first Spring Training game is on Saturday, Feb. 21, and they will open the regular season on March 25 against the Orioles in Baltimore. The health of Lopez now becomes a significant storyline to keep an eye on.