It always sucks to see a player have to undergo Tommy John surgery, especially when he has just begun to establish himself as a big leaguer.
Former Twins pitcher Pierson Ohl to undergo Tommy John surgery
Former Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Pierson Ohl, whom Minnesota dealt to the Colorado Rockies along with infielder Edouard Julien for righty pitching prospect Jace Kaminska in late January, will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and miss the 2026 season, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Twins fans are sick of hearing about Tommy John surgery since starting pitcher Pablo López is scheduled to undergo the procedure this week. Even though Ohl isn't with Minnesota anymore, it's always tough to hear when a player on any team needs the season-ending surgery.
Before the Twins traded Ohl to the Rockies, they designated him and catcher Jhonny Pereda, who was later traded to the Seattle Mariners, for assignment to clear 40-man roster spots for left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers and catcher Victor Caratini. It made sense to get rid of Pereda, but many were surprised that the Twins designated Ohl for assignment.
Getting rid of Pierson Ohl was a surprising move for Twins
Overall, Ohl, 26, had a rough rookie season in 2025, posting a 5.10 ERA across 30 innings with the Twins. However, the righty finished the season strong by throwing eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts across six outings. Even though his overall results were poor, he had an elite 31.1% chase rate and 5.3% walk rate in the big leagues last season. He was dominant in the minors, posting a 2.40 ERA with a 30.3% strikeout rate and 3.9% walk rate over 71 1/3 innings across three levels.
Ohl, who throws a low-90s fastball, low-80s changeup, mid-80s cutter and high-70s curveball, had a strong chance to make a Rockies bullpen that's anything but set in stone before the news broke that he tore his UCL. Ohl will likely be transferred to the 60-day IL, which will allow him to earn the $780K major-league minimum in 2026.
Even though he'll miss the entire 2026 season, Ohl still has a future in the big leagues, especially since he's on the Rockies, the worst team in MLB last season. The righty has three minor-league option years for at least another five seasons.
Puckett's Pond wishes Ohl a speedy recovery and hopes he succeeds with Colorado when he returns to the mound.