Twins Ace Pablo Lopez Set to Rejoin Rotation This Week, After Brief IL Stint

[Eric Blonigen]

One early-season misfortune is set to correct itself, not a moment too soon—or, it seems, a moment later than allowed.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Twins got a rare bit of good news Tuesday. Pablo López will be activated from the injured list after something very close to a minimum, 15-day stay.

In his postgame press conference Tuesday night, Rocco Baldelli announced that Chris Paddack will make the start Thursday, which means López is most likely to come back Friday night against Anaheim. This is welcome, not because David Festa has done a poor job filling in for him, but because López’s cerebral, veteran presence—not to mention his stellar stuff—will be a stabilizing force at the top of the rotation.

Through his first three starts, López has averaged more than five and one-third innings per start. He’s sporting a shiny 1.62 ERA, with his typically strong peripherals. You know his game: not walking many, getting a ton of chase, and coaxing a ton of grounders.

López left his last start, on April 8, after Carlos Correa noticed him grabbing the back of his leg. Correa called for the training staff, and moments later, López’s day was done. The next day, he hit the injured list for the first time since 2021. The early diagnosis was a mild hamstring strain, and at the time, the Twins were hopeful that his time on the shelf would be kept to the minimum allowed stint, 15 days.

These hopes seem poised to be (more or less) realized, as Lopez took around a week off, then made one rehab start with Triple-A Saint Paul. In his rehab start, Lopez threw 63 pitches, and completed 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four, didn’t walk anyone, and gave up one run on three hits.

On Tuesday, he threw a bullpen session, and the training staff felt that both went according to plan. Between the rehab start and the bullpen session, López got some workouts in with kettlebells and resistance bands in a ballpark hallway, as minor leaguers do, and didn’t feel any discomfort.

“I think he’s in a really good spot to return to the big leagues, not have to make another rehab start," Rocco Baldelli told reporters Tuesday. "All positive.”

López himself feels the same confidence.

“I’m feeling good, but also I got to the point where I’m still working … on sequences, hitting my spots and seeing what the training staff tells me, but everything’s moving well, feeling natural, feeling normal,” he said.

There was still one final test that López needed to pass. He completed his rehab assignment by treating the Saints players to breakfast sushi in Iowa (true story). When medical staff determined that López was still among the living after that questionable culinary decision (which, in fairness to him, he, too, expressed some doubts about), they judged that he was ready to join the parent club. The Twins are desperately clinging to the hope for relevance.

The best version of the 2025 Minnesota Twins features López in a prominent role at the front of the rotation. While it may be getting late early for the team, his return should hearten his teammates and fans alike, and will give the Twins a slightly better chance to win every fifth day. The bigger question (the answer to which I won’t speculate on) is what the corresponding move will be when López is called up. Will it be a like-for-like swap with his replacement? Or will someone from the current rotation slide into the bullpen, pushing a fringe relief arm out of the picture? Regardless of whom he replaces, López will give the middle-of-the-road pitching staff a shot in the arm.

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Will López’s activation be enough to help the floundering Twins right the ship of their season, or is it too little, too late? Who do you think will be sent down? And who should be sent down? Weigh in below!

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[LambchoP]

Festa does not deserve to be sent back down to St. Paul. Especially if he has another good start today. Both him and Zebby look ready for MLB. I'd like to think Paddack and SWR rotation spots are up for grabs, but we all know how long the Twins love to stick with struggling veterans over youngsters playing well...

[DJL44]

They seem likely to manipulate service time with Festa and Matthews this season to make sure they get an extra year's control out of each of them.

[USAFChief]

 Breakfast sushi? 

 

[I Never Bet On Sports]

A Case for Piggybacking

I would like to see the Twins take their top 7 starters and piggy back 2 of the 5 rotation spots.

4/25 Pablo

4/26 SWR/Zebby Piggyback

4/27 Ryan

4/28 Ober

4/29 Paddack/Festa Piggyback

Assuming a standard 5 starter / 8 reliever staff with starters averaging 5.25 innings per start you need releivers to pick up the remaining 2.75 innings per game. That equates to 170 innings per starter spot and 74 innings per reliever spot on the roster (Every team uses more pitchers throughout a season so individual innings pitched will be lower but per spot on active roster this holds true)

I am assuming that the piggy back combined will average 8 innings per start combined so an extra 2.75 x32 starts = 88 innings for the piggy back. This impacts your average innings per reliever spot as follows

 

5 starters   8 reliever spots  average 74 innings per season

1 Piggy back 7 reliever spots average 71.6 innings per season

2 Piggyback 6 reliever spots average 68.9 innings per season

 

I would suggest that the Piggy back pitcher always starts a clean inning, such that if the starter struggles you bring in a reliver to finish that inning and the piggy back starts the next clean inning. Spacing the two piggy back spots should allow for better bullpen management as you should get two low usage days out of every five starts. This also moves Zebby and Festa into the majors. If you ever need to skip a start for one of your pitchers you could split a piggy back up for one time through the rotation.

Alcala most likely to be sent down. Second choice is tougher.

[LA Vikes Fan]

My guess is that today and Thursday's starts are tryouts or validation start for Festa and Paddack. Is Paddack the guy form his first 2 starts - 7.1 IP, 13 hits, 13 runs? Or the guy from his last two starts - 10 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs?  Another decent start and he stays in the rotation, particularly if he can go 6 innings. Then the choice is SWR or Festa, with both looking like 4 or 5 inning guys so far. Can Festa go 6+ today? Loser of the 3 goes to the bullpen unless it's Festa and he goes back to AAA. Watch, one of the starters will need an IL stint and that will solve the problem. 

[Mike Sixel]

SWR should move to the pen. And I'm one of his biggest proponents.

[Patzky]

33 minutes ago, I Never Bet On Sports said:

A Case for Piggybacking

I would like to see the Twins take their top 7 starters and piggy back 2 of the 5 rotation spots.

4/25 Pablo

4/26 SWR/Zebby Piggyback

4/27 Ryan

4/28 Ober

4/29 Paddack/Festa Piggyback

Assuming a standard 5 starter / 8 reliever staff with starters averaging 5.25 innings per start you need releivers to pick up the remaining 2.75 innings per game. That equates to 170 innings per starter spot and 74 innings per reliever spot on the roster (Every team uses more pitchers throughout a season so individual innings pitched will be lower but per spot on active roster this holds true)

I am assuming that the piggy back combined will average 8 innings per start combined so an extra 2.75 x32 starts = 88 innings for the piggy back. This impacts your average innings per reliever spot as follows

 

5 starters   8 reliever spots  average 74 innings per season

1 Piggy back 7 reliever spots average 71.6 innings per season

2 Piggyback 6 reliever spots average 68.9 innings per season

 

I would suggest that the Piggy back pitcher always starts a clean inning, such that if the starter struggles you bring in a reliver to finish that inning and the piggy back starts the next clean inning. Spacing the two piggy back spots should allow for better bullpen management as you should get two low usage days out of every five starts. This also moves Zebby and Festa into the majors. If you ever need to skip a start for one of your pitchers you could split a piggy back up for one time through the rotation.

Alcala most likely to be sent down. Second choice is tougher.

Since we are piggybacking (I don't have the answer but someone does) is it time to look at the effectiveness of pitcher-catcher batteries? Does Pablo do better with Jeffers behind the plate, or Sim with Vasquez? Can the alternating day strategy be tinkered with or is it not worthwhile?

 

Yep Alcala down and Pablo up seems a smart call. If either of the next two games see a lot of Alcala 🤢 we'll get an idea.

[Patzky]

29 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

SWR should move to the pen. And I'm one of his biggest proponents.

The Dobnak role?

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, Patzky said:

The Dobnak role?

I'd probably use him in a multi inning role, bit it's hard to plan for that. 

He's got good stuff, but third time thru the order is not good. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

29 minutes ago, Patzky said:

Since we are piggybacking (I don't have the answer but someone does) is it time to look at the effectiveness of pitcher-catcher batteries? Does Pablo do better with Jeffers behind the plate, or Sim with Vasquez? Can the alternating day strategy be tinkered with or is it not worthwhile?

 

Yep Alcala down and Pablo up seems a smart call. If either of the next two games see a lot of Alcala 🤢 we'll get an idea.

I think Alcala has now acquired enough MLB service time so he would have to go on waivers if they attempt to send him to AAA. He would almost certainly be claimed by Oakland/Sacramento, the White Sox, or a similar bottom feeder. He is much more of a trade possibility for a A Ball guy than for a demotion. I would take him off of the list when thinking about a AAA demotion.  

[thelanges5]

1 hour ago, I Never Bet On Sports said:

A Case for Piggybacking

I would like to see the Twins take their top 7 starters and piggy back 2 of the 5 rotation spots.

4/25 Pablo

4/26 SWR/Zebby Piggyback

4/27 Ryan

4/28 Ober

4/29 Paddack/Festa Piggyback

Assuming a standard 5 starter / 8 reliever staff with starters averaging 5.25 innings per start you need releivers to pick up the remaining 2.75 innings per game. That equates to 170 innings per starter spot and 74 innings per reliever spot on the roster (Every team uses more pitchers throughout a season so individual innings pitched will be lower but per spot on active roster this holds true)

I am assuming that the piggy back combined will average 8 innings per start combined so an extra 2.75 x32 starts = 88 innings for the piggy back. This impacts your average innings per reliever spot as follows

 

5 starters   8 reliever spots  average 74 innings per season

1 Piggy back 7 reliever spots average 71.6 innings per season

2 Piggyback 6 reliever spots average 68.9 innings per season

 

I would suggest that the Piggy back pitcher always starts a clean inning, such that if the starter struggles you bring in a reliver to finish that inning and the piggy back starts the next clean inning. Spacing the two piggy back spots should allow for better bullpen management as you should get two low usage days out of every five starts. This also moves Zebby and Festa into the majors. If you ever need to skip a start for one of your pitchers you could split a piggy back up for one time through the rotation.

Alcala most likely to be sent down. Second choice is tougher.

Alcala does not have any options left. He’d have to be DFAd. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

They seem likely to manipulate service time with Festa and Matthews this season to make sure they get an extra year's control out of each of them.

Full year service time = 172 days.
Time remaining for Twins = 161 days.
Festa = 95 days (and counting), Needs to be optioned until end of July to gain a year.
Matthews = 48 days, Call up June 1 with impunity.

Festa or Matthews are probably both questionable candidates for service time manipulation right now. I don't think the Twins are willing to move on from SWR or Paddack before the end of May, and I don't think the Twins are willing to go to the end of July carrying dead weight (if Paddack/SWR struggle) in the rotation when Lopez comes back.

[Jeff K]

21 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I think Alcala has now acquired enough MLB service time so he would have to go on waivers if they attempt to send him to AAA. He would almost certainly be claimed by Oakland/Sacramento, the White Sox, or a similar bottom feeder. He is much more of a trade possibility for a A Ball guy than for a demotion. I would take him off of the list when thinking about a AAA demotion.  

if you can trade Alcala, great; if not let him go.  history tells us, that he is 13th man on the staff guy.  he simply is not someone that can be consistently counted despite his flashes.

[Rufus]

Lopez will never have greater value, trade him.  The Twins should be able to solve their 1st base and catching woes with the return. Baltimore's rotation is killing them, their top prospect is major league ready and is a C/1B.   Paddock should also have some value.    That's part of the game, trade from depth to strengthen your weaknesses

[LA Vikes Fan]

On 4/23/2025 at 8:13 AM, LA VIkes Fan said:

My guess is that today and Thursday's starts are tryouts or validation start for Festa and Paddack. Is Paddack the guy form his first 2 starts - 7.1 IP, 13 hits, 13 runs? Or the guy from his last two starts - 10 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs?  Another decent start and he stays in the rotation, particularly if he can go 6 innings. Then the choice is SWR or Festa, with both looking like 4 or 5 inning guys so far. Can Festa go 6+ today? Loser of the 3 goes to the bullpen unless it's Festa and he goes back to AAA. Watch, one of the starters will need an IL stint and that will solve the problem. 

As a follow up, I think yesterday was Festa's last MLB start for awhile. He's a talented guy, but doesn't quite yet have the command necessary to get through 6 innings in less than 100 pitches. Way too many 2 strike foul balls and uncompetitive pitches. I think he gets sent down and is back up  later in the year as an injury or trade replacement. This all assumes Paddack does decently today and that SWR does the same Saturday, and most importantly no one in the rotation needs to go on the IL. If not, Matthews is the next one up. Festa goes down Friday for the return of Lopez. 

Like the idea of trading pitching for a bat but not Lopez. I would much rather trade Paddack, maybe in combination with Festa or one of Lee, Julien, or Miranda. We won't get a high end bat for that, but should be able to get a veteran bat with a .750 plus OPS for it, or maybe a hitting prospect now at AAA for Paddack and a lower level minor leaguer with potential.    

[Mike Sixel]

7 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

As a follow up, I think yesterday was Festa's last MLB start for awhile. He's a talented guy, but doesn't quite yet have the command necessary to get through 6 innings in less than 100 pitches. Way too many 2 strike foul balls and uncompetitive pitches. I think he gets sent down and is back up  later in the year as an injury or trade replacement. This all assumes Paddack does decently today and that SWR does the same Saturday, and most importantly no one in the rotation needs to go on the IL. If not, Matthews is the next one up. Festa goes down Friday for the return of Lopez. 

Like the idea of trading pitching for a bat but not Lopez. I would much rather trade Paddack, maybe in combination with Festa or one of Lee, Julien, or Miranda. We won't get a high end bat for that, but should be able to get a veteran bat with a .750 plus OPS for it, or maybe a hitting prospect now at AAA for Paddack and a lower level minor leaguer with potential.    

I'm not trading any pitcher unless it's for a highly, highly, rated player. What's the point? Also, a young player. Trading for a veteran with a year or two of control does nothing.