Twins’ Pablo López Exits Live BP Early Over Elbow Soreness

This article recaps Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo López’s elbow soreness during a live batting-practice session in Fort Myers. It covers the team’s precautionary steps and how this news fits into López’s recent injury history and World Baseball Classic plans with Venezuela.

You’ll also get a sense of the Twins’ approach to protecting a key rotation piece as they keep a close eye on one of their top starters heading into the season.

What happened during López’s live BP in Fort Myers

López left the field after a brief flare of elbow discomfort that popped up late in a live batting-practice session on the main field at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. He threw just over two innings against hitters before things got weird in his third simulated inning — on the second pitch after he checked his elbow, he and pitching coach Pete Maki decided to pull the plug, just to be safe.

Twins manager Derek Shelton said the team will get imaging done to see what’s up with the elbow. Until those results come in, nobody’s really sure how serious it is.

López has been handling a heavier workload in spring training, a bit ahead of schedule as he prepped to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Imaging will determine the severity

“We’ll be doing imaging to determine the severity,” Shelton said. The next steps all depend on what the scans show.

The Twins haven’t given a timeline for his return. López’s status now really just hangs on the imaging and what the doctors say.

López’s durability and performance track record

In 2023, López opened the Twins’ season and posted a 5-4 record with a 2.74 ERA over 75 2/3 innings. He’s been a steady presence for Minnesota, especially with the team’s rotation always in flux.

But last year wasn’t perfect. He went on the injured list three separate times — once for a hamstring, once for a muscle injury in the back of his right shoulder, and once for a forearm strain.

Before those setbacks, López had built a reputation for durability. He made 32 starts in each of the three previous seasons.

That kind of consistency makes this elbow thing stand out even more, considering how important he’s been to Minnesota when healthy.

Tracking durability in recent history

The contrast between López’s earlier reliability and the 2023 IL stints gives some context for why the Twins are being extra careful this spring. He’s shown he can bounce back from injuries, which is a big part of his value to the rotation.

Managers keep hammering home the importance of body awareness. It’s one of those things that can help avoid a bigger problem down the road.

Team perspective: body awareness and safeguarding pitchers

Shelton praised López’s “body awareness” and pointed out the strong working relationship between López and Maki. They pulled López from the session out of caution, not because of a clear injury.

It’s pretty obvious Minnesota plans to play it safe with a pitcher who’s been a durable contributor when he’s healthy.

World Baseball Classic prep and potential impact on the Twins

The elbow issue comes up just as López was ramping up for the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela. He’d been hoping to throw for his homeland earlier than some teammates.

Trying to balance WBC prep with development, stamina, and injury risk is always tricky, especially for pitchers who log a lot of innings. The Twins’ main concern now is figuring out if this soreness is just a minor blip or something more serious that could mess with his spring — or even his start to the regular season.

What this means for fans and the rotation ahead

• Elbow soreness in a trusted starter raises red flags. Right now, though, it sounds like the team’s just being careful, not making any big declarations.
• Imaging results will shape Minnesota’s timetable for López’s return to live throwing. That’s going to be the real turning point.
• This incident highlights how much the Twins rely on López’s durability. Early-season workload management just got a little trickier.

In the next few days, updates on López’s imaging and any progress will matter a lot for fans following the Twins’ rotation health. Everyone’s waiting to see if he’ll be ready for the season opener.

For now, the team’s watching things closely and keeping communication open. The plan? Prioritize López’s long-term health while trying not to thin out Minnesota’s pitching depth any further.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Twins’ López ends live BP session early due to elbow soreness