Minnesota Twins ace Pablo Lopez likely will need season-ending Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow, general manager Jeremy Zoll said Tuesday.
Zoll said Lopez, who ended a bullpen session Monday because of soreness after throwing two-plus innings, will be getting a second opinion before deciding whether to have surgery.
He was considered ahead of schedule in preparations to join Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic.
Lopez, who turns 30 next month, has been the Opening Day starter for the Twins the past three seasons. He was limited to 75⅔ innings over 14 starts last season, going 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA with three stints on the injured list for hamstring, shoulder and forearm issues.
The 2023 All-Star had made 32 starts in each season from 2022 to 2024, when we won a career-high 15 games for the Twins.
Minnesota also has Joe Ryan in the starting rotation, with Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley and Mick Abel all vying for spots.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
