Minnesota Twins ace right-hander Pablo Lopez will be sidelined for an extended period while he recovers from a significant tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, general manager Jeremy Zoll said Tuesday.

Season-ending Tommy John surgery is possible for Lopez, who is expected to get a second opinion.

The news comes one day after Lopez cut short his live batting practice session due to what manager Derek Shelton labeled as “a little bit of elbow soreness.”

Preparing to pitch for Venezuela in next month’s World Baseball Classic, Lopez threw two-plus innings against live hitters at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla., the Twins’ spring training home.

Lopez, who turns 30 on March 7, made 32 starts per season from 2022-24 but endured three separate stints on the injured list in 2025, when he went 5-4 in 14 starts with a 2.74 ERA over 75 2/3 innings. A hamstring injury, a muscle injury in the back of his throwing shoulder and a forearm strain landed him on the IL.

In eight seasons with the Miami Marlins (2018-22) and Twins, Lopez is 59-53 with a 3.81 ERA in 172 games (all starts), with 994 strikeouts and 251 walks over 965 innings. The 2023 All-Star is entering the third season of a four-year, $73.5 million deal he signed in 2023.

–Field Level Media