Minnesota Twins Seek Pitching Reinforcements
The Minnesota Twins are likely on the lookout for starting pitchers.
On Wednesday, the team announced that ace Pablo López will be sidelined for eight to twelve weeks due to a significant strain in his throwing shoulder.
Before the injury, López had shown impressive form, maintaining a 2.82 ERA with a 5-3 record over 34 innings pitched.
Given his Grade 2 shoulder strain, the earliest he might return is in August.
López realized something was off during warm-ups before the sixth inning in Tuesday’s 10-3 win against the opposing team.
He managed five innings, yielding two runs on four hits, but exited after just 72 pitches.
The injury was first described as shoulder tension, and López noted he felt it after a lengthy top half of the sixth inning where Minnesota scored four runs.
“I tried to stay relaxed. We had a long inning,” López said, according to Reuters. “Then I went out, made three warm-up pitches. They were low to medium strength, and I thought, if this feels like this, I can only imagine how it’ll feel trying to throw hard at the start of the inning.”
Manager Rocco Baldelli remains hopeful that López’s season isn’t over. He stated, “I really believe we will have him pitching for us again, but it’s probably not the end of the year.” He added that the team is in touch with López to ensure he can make significant contributions later in the season.
The Twins’ rotation has been in flux as they adjust their depth chart around top prospect Zeby Matthews.
On Wednesday, Matthews delivered his best performance, pitching five innings and allowing just one run in a 6-1 victory.
Festa, who has been impressive in his three previous starts with a 1.38 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 13 innings, also adds depth.
If either Festa, Matthews, or third starter Chris Paddack falters, the Twins may look to acquire additional pitchers as the trade deadline approaches.
Recently, Joel Sherman of the Post reported that there’s speculation Minnesota could become sellers at the deadline, with names like Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, John Gray, and possibly Jacob deGrom being mentioned.
After a rocky start at 5-12, Minnesota has turned things around, currently sitting at 29-15 and clinching the first AL wildcard spot.
