The Twins didn’t get the result they wanted in San Diego on Friday night, but they did come away with one encouraging development that matters far beyond this road trip.
Pablo Lopez has started throwing again.
Minnesota opened its three-game set against the Padres with a 6-2 loss, dropping the club to a rough spot in the standings and leaving its playoff odds at 31.1%, according to FanGraphs. The AL Central odds now sit at 18.2%.
Game two is set for 7:40 p.m. CDT.
Still, the bigger headline from Friday was Lopez taking a meaningful step in his recovery. He was out on the field playing catch for the first time since his surgery, a sign that his rehab is moving forward.
Not only is Pablo Lopez on this roadtrip (like he's done all season) but he was just on the field playing catch for the first time since his surgery.
- Audra Martin (@Audra_Martin) August 21, 2026
Pablo is throwing! pic.twitter.com/GaXkUUTp5X
- Ted (@tlschwerz) August 22, 2026
The plan now is for Lopez to gradually increase both the volume and distance of his catch play before anything else happens. There’s no clear timetable for those next steps yet, but Derek Shelton sounded genuinely encouraged after seeing it unfold.
“It’s a large step,” he said. “His arm was moving forward and there was a baseball that came out of it.
Even though it was only 30 feet and 45 feet, I think it was very encouraging. He left with a smile, I think I left with a smile.”
Lopez had Tommy John surgery on February 25 after feeling something go wrong during the team’s first full-squad spring training workout. His 2025 season was already interrupted before that, as he missed three months last summer with a teres major strain and later saw the year end because of forearm tightness. He has not pitched in an MLB game since September 19, 2025.
Even in a season cut short, Lopez still looked like Minnesota’s ace when he was available. In 75 2/3 innings last year, he posted a 2.74 ERA, a 3.19 FIP and 2.1 WAR.
He is not expected back in 2026, and his return timeline remains uncertain. Opening Day 2027 is also unclear, with the added wrinkle of a possible lockout if that becomes part of the picture.
But Friday still mattered. It was a real step forward.
That matters because Lopez’s role in the organization’s future remains huge. He has stayed with the team throughout the season, even traveling on road trips, so the locker-room side of his return should be seamless whenever he’s ready. And Minnesota may need him to be that same front-line presence again next season, especially with Joe Ryan entering his final year of team control and more questions hanging over the rotation beyond 2026.
In Other News...
Twins Top Catching Prospect Is Already Forcing A Bigger Conversation
The Twins have not had to wait long to see why Vahn Lackey came with such a big reputation when they took the Georgia Tech catcher in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft and signed him for $9.475 million. He opened his pro career at Low-A Fort Myers, but after just 15 games he had already done enough to earn a move up to High-A Cedar Rapids, a quick rise that says plenty about how the organization views his bat and overall package.
Lackey has also given the Twins a first look at the kind of offensive upside that made him such an intriguing draft pick, including his first professional home run. For a club that has been searching for clarity behind the plate, his early progress has turned a future-facing pick into a much more immediate topic, especially with catcher development rarely moving in a straight line. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Ryan's Recovery Just Became A Bigger Twins Concern
The Twins head into a series against the Athletics trying to steady themselves after dropping three straight to the Padres on the road, and the mood around the pitching staff has been complicated by Joe Ryans latest step in his recovery. Ryan has been on the injured list since August 7 with a mild glute strain, and while he has already completed a 35-pitch bullpen session, Minnesota is still treating his return as something to monitor rather than target on the calendar.
For a club looking for any kind of stability as it turns to a more manageable opponent, Ryans status carries extra weight. The Twins need innings, and they need clarity, but the team is still evaluating how he responds before it can say more about when he might be back in the mix. In a stretch where every game matters, even a routine bullpen day can feel like a much bigger development than it would in a quieter week. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Cant Keep Ignoring Byron Buxtons Growing Problem
Byron Buxtons season has taken a familiar and uncomfortable turn for the Twins, with his production sliding after the All-Star break while the right hip issue that sent him to the injured list lingers in the background. For a player whose value is built on impact at the top end of the roster, the drop-off has been hard to miss, and it has shown up in the kind of numbers Minnesota can no longer brush aside.
The broader concern is bigger than one cold stretch. Buxton has not tried a stolen base since the break, his recent offensive line has been light, and his overall on-field value has turned negative at a time when the Twins need him most. Minnesota now has to decide whether keeping him in the lineup is helping preserve a core piece, or simply asking an injured player to keep grinding through a problem that is clearly affecting everything he does. [Read more 🡒]