The Minnesota Twins destroyed the Athletics on Tuesday, earning an impressive 10-3 win with Pablo Lopez starting on the mound. However, the victory came at a cost, as Lopez exited early after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder. The following day, the club received some bad news about one of its best pitchers.

Reports indicate that the 29-year-old ace is likely to be placed on the injured list after suffering a strained latissimus muscle, according to Dan Haynes of The Athletic. Pablo Lopez is expected to be put on the 15-day IL, but will undergo an MRI before the Twins make a final decision.

“Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez is expected to be placed on the injured list after experiencing tightness in his right shoulder, the Twins said late Tuesday night. Following a 10-3 Twins victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, a contest Lopez exited after five innings, the club said it's likely its ace pitcher is headed for another stint on the 15-day IL.”

This will be his second time being on the 15-day IL, as he spent some time nursing a hamstring injury in April. Last time he was out for just two starts, so that's likely the best-case scenario for this new shoulder injury.

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Despite the bad news, Pablo Lopez appears to be optimistic about his shoulder injury. He claims he never felt a “big pop.” The Twins star believes that had he pushed himself to pitch the sixth inning on Tuesday night, his injury could have been a lot worse.

“I never felt like a big pop or anything,” Pablo Lopez said. “I feel like that's what could have happened had I been a little more stubborn and tried to pitch that bottom of the sixth inning. It's obviously still not the greatest news to hear, to have to deal with. But if there's a silver lining, it's that it wasn't that posterior cuff or that I didn't feel anything blowing up.”

Before sustaining the shoulder injury, Pablo Lopez was having a fantastic season. Through 60.2 innings pitched, the Twins' ace is recording an impressive 2.82 ERA and 1.071 WHIP while totaling 61 strikeouts. He's also 5-3 on the season through 11 starts.