Following a four-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox at home, the Minnesota Twins have continued their rough form after the July 31st trade deadline. Twins leadership dealt a good amount of major league contributors, most notably closer Jhoan Duran and shortstop Carlos Correa. As the team looks to get back on track with a weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, manager Rocco Baldelli's roster will receive a boost. According to the Twins' official X (formerly Twitter) account, starting pitcher Pablo Lopez has been activated from the 60-Day IL.

“We have made the following roster moves,” posted the team account on Friday afternoon.

Getting Lopez back at the top of the rotation should only help the Twins' chances moving forward. The veteran righty will start Friday's opener against the Royals. After being swept by the cellar-dwelling White Sox, Minnesota's chances at climbing up the AL Central standings don't look good. The trade deadline fire sale might be the first sign that there will be significant changes this offseason. Twins brass might decide to lean into a rebuild. If that's the case, how much longer will veteran stars like Lopez and fellow starter Joe Ryan ply their craft at Target Field?

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Twins look to finish 2025 strong, carry momentum into 2026

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli (5) walks out of the dugout to make a pitching change against the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning at Target Field.
Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

In charge since the 2019 season, Baldelli has led the Twins' major-league roster for almost seven seasons now. While the former Tampa Bay Rays legend has experienced success during his time in Minnesota, last season's collapse has bled into 2025. After an inconsistent form in the first half, it was clear that this roster wouldn't be able to make a deep postseason run. So, team leadership stripped Baldelli's roster, including Duran, Correa, multiple relievers and other contributors.

Now, the Twins will surely look to finish this season strong. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, a series win against the Royals this weekend would certainly boost the squad's hopes. Although a playoff berth is incredibly unlikely, finishing the season's final month with a winning record could help Baldelli and his staff as well. Can Minnesota navigate its remaining schedule and finish above .500 on the season?