The Minnesota Twins are bracing for the short-term loss of their ace, Pablo López, after the right-hander was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring. Manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed on Wednesday that López is almost certainly headed to the 15-day injured list, though the team remains hopeful his absence will be brief.

“Pablo López has a grade one hamstring strain. He’s expected to be placed on the 15-day IL, Rocco Baldelli said.” via Bobby Nightengale on X, formerly Twitter.

López exited Tuesday’s start in Kansas City during the fifth inning after walking Jonathan India. He appeared to grab at the back of his leg, prompting a mound visit from Baldelli and athletic trainer Nick Paparesta. After a short conversation, López was removed from the game. He finished the outing allowing one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.

“It took a second for Pablo to process and make a decision as to whether or not he wanted to mention anything,” Baldelli added. “These guys are competitive. The last thing we need is for him to pitch with something that could potentially get worse.”

Pablo Lopez injury leaves a gaping hole in the Twins rotation

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium.
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López underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which confirmed the mild strain. While a Grade 1 injury is the least severe, any time missed by the Twins’ most reliable starter is a blow to a rotation that’s already reeling.

The 28-year-old has been outstanding to begin 2025, posting a 1.62 ERA with 14 strikeouts and just two walks across 16 2/3 innings. His consistency since arriving in the 2022-23 offseason trade for Luis Arraez has been a cornerstone for the Twins, with López making 32 starts in each of the last three seasons and finishing among the league leaders in innings pitched.

With López sidelined, the Twins will need to dig deep. Joe Ryan was dominant on Wednesday to help secure a shutout win over the Royals, but beyond him, the rotation has struggled. Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, and Simeon Woods Richardson have all been hit hard early in the season, contributing to the rotation’s league-worst 6.26 ERA entering Wednesday.

The Twins are currently in the middle of a grueling 12-game stretch without an off day. Baldelli noted Ober is set to start the series finale in Kansas City, with Paddack and Woods Richardson scheduled for the weekend in Detroit. That leaves Sunday’s start — López’s usual turn — unclaimed.

Top prospects Zebby Matthews and David Festa are candidates to fill the void. Matthews, in particular, is on regular rest and has impressed at Triple-A, allowing two runs over 10 innings with 13 strikeouts. Festa has also flashed upside, though with less consistent results. Another option is recalling veteran swingman Randy Dobnak, who cleared waivers last week. Regardless of who gets the call, losing López — even for a couple weeks — forces an already thin Twins rotation into survival mode.