The Minnesota Twins are barely a week into Spring Training, and already the alarm bells are ringing. What was supposed to be a fresh start has quickly turned into a potential crisis, with two of the team’s most important players making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Let’s start with the big one: Pablo López. The Twins’ ace left the field on Monday with elbow soreness, and by Tuesday morning, the news got a lot worse.
According to the team, López has “significant tearing of his UCL” and is now seeking a second opinion. General manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed that season-ending surgery is on the table - and if that’s where this is headed, Minnesota’s rotation just took a massive hit before the season even began.
This isn’t just about one pitcher going down. López is the anchor of this staff - the guy the Twins counted on to lead the rotation and set the tone every fifth day.
If he’s lost for the year, it doesn’t just create a hole in the starting five; it reshapes the entire outlook for 2026. López already missed time last season, and the idea of him being sidelined for another 20-plus starts is a gut punch for a team that’s trying to stay competitive in a tough division.
Meanwhile, Byron Buxton - the face of the franchise - is reportedly showing visible frustration. That’s not unusual for a player who holds himself to an elite standard, but it adds to the sense that things are unraveling early. Buxton has battled injuries throughout his career, and seeing him visibly upset this early in camp doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that this is going to be a smooth spring.
And then there’s Joe Ryan.
All offseason, trade rumors swirled around the 27-year-old right-hander. The Twins ultimately held onto him, avoiding arbitration and signaling that they still believed in the Ryan-López duo as the core of their rotation.
But if López is out for the year? That changes everything.
Ryan is an All-Star caliber arm with a high ceiling, and he’s entering a critical stretch of his career. If the Twins suddenly find themselves without their ace, and potentially staring down a rough season, it’s fair to wonder whether holding onto Ryan still makes sense - or whether he becomes one of the most valuable trade chips on the market.
The Twins didn’t go through with a deal this winter, but the groundwork was there. Teams were interested, and Minnesota listened. Now, with López’s status in serious doubt, those conversations may resurface - and this time, with more urgency.
Of course, nothing is official yet. López is still waiting on that second opinion, and there’s always a chance the diagnosis could change.
But the initial report is concerning, and the vibe in camp reflects that. There’s a feeling of unease - like the season is already teetering before it’s even started.
It’s far too early to write off 2026, but if Pablo López is out long-term, the Twins’ margin for error shrinks dramatically. And if Joe Ryan is the next domino to fall - whether by trade or otherwise - Minnesota’s rotation could look a whole lot different in a hurry.
For now, the Twins are holding their breath. But the questions are already piling up - and Spring Training has barely even begun.