Minnesota Twins Star Pablo López Faces Second Tommy John Surgery

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo López will undergo season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery next week after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. This marks the second time the 30-year-old ace has needed the procedure, having previously had the surgery as a minor league player in 2014.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Minnesota Twins star pitcher Pablo López will undergo season-ending elbow surgery after doctors confirmed a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the team announced Friday.

The 30-year-old right-hander will have the Tommy John procedure performed next week in Texas by Dr. Keith Meister, who serves as the Texas Rangers’ team physician. López celebrates his 30th birthday early next month.

This marks López’s second Tommy John surgery. He previously underwent the procedure while playing in Seattle’s minor league system, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season.

The injury became apparent when López cut short a bullpen session during Minnesota’s first complete team practice on Monday. New manager Derek Shelton initially expressed optimism that the early exit was merely precautionary, but general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed the UCL damage to media members the following day.

For three consecutive seasons, López has served as the Twins’ opening day starter and had been scheduled to represent Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

The veteran pitcher began his major league career with Miami in 2018, spending five seasons with the Marlins before joining Minnesota through a trade.

His first year with the Twins earned him All-Star recognition, and he played a crucial role in helping the organization break a historic 18-game postseason losing streak that had been the longest in North American professional sports. López posted an impressive 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA across two playoff starts in 2023.

López is earning $21.75 million this season and remains under contract through next year.

Last season, a shoulder problem restricted him to just 14 starts, a significant drop from the 32 starts he made in each of three straight seasons where he won at least 10 games, including his final year in Miami. In 2025, López compiled a 5-4 record with a 2.74 ERA, bringing his career totals to 59-53 with a 3.81 ERA.