The Minnesota Twins had an excellent month in May. They won the majority of their games and have rode that momentum into June. However, the Twins will have to push forward without Pablo Lopez after their ace went onto the 15-day injured list. The 29-year-old left his last start on the road in Sacramento after five innings and is now dealing with pain in his right shoulder. Joe Ryan will take his place atop Minnesota's rotation, but he thinks the Athletics' field is the reason why Lopez got hurt.

Both Ryan and Lopez have pitched all over the country throughout their careers. However, this season was their first time pitching at the Athletics' new ballpark in Sacramento as the team transitions to Las Vegas. Both they and the Tampa Bay Rays are unable to play at their regular stadiums, and their opponents have felt the difference.

While talking to The Athletic's Dan Hayes, Ryan spoke about the conditions of the fields. According to him, Zack Wheeler reached out to Ryan about the substitute fields that host the Athletics' home games.

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“The first thing I thought of was Wheeler saying, ‘I was all arm when I was here,’” Ryan said. “Does that play into that? Someone was mentioning it. We’re in the big leagues, and we have these amenities for a reason. It’s to get prepared and go inside if you need to for a second. Whatever your routine is, you can’t do that here. You can’t do that in Tampa. As (Lopez’s) teammate, it makes it sting a little bit more. I don’t think Pablo is the kind of guy that’s going to say (the mound was the issue), but I’ll say it.”

The conditions of the field have become a bigger point of emphasis as the season has gone on. There is no increase in the frequency of injuries, but players across the league can tell the difference.

Lopez's absence hurts the Twins, who have are in the middle of a tight race in the American League Central. Minnesota hopes to ride their stellar play in May into the summer. As for Ryan, he will do what he can without Lopez as the team's replacement ace. Unfortunately, Minnesota will miss a key piece for at least the next two weeks.