Twins ace Pablo López likely to miss entire 2026 season after suffering torn UCL
After suffering a torn UCL during live batting practice on Monday, Twins ace Pablo López will likely undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2026 season, per multiple reports.
Twins executive chair Tom Pohlad said last month that he plans for the Twins to be competitive in 2026. That already seemed like a long shot to many at the time. And now with López likely to miss the entire season, the odds of Minnesota making the playoffs in 2026 are even lower.
If Pohlad really wants to prove to Twins fans that he intends for Minnesota to be competitive in 2026, he'll give general manager Jeremy Zoll the green light to sign a starting pitcher to replace López. Notably, Pohlad also recently stated that the Twins made a multi-year offer to starting pitcher Framber Valdez before the lefty signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers last week, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. Since the Twins were attempting to sign the best starting pitcher on the market before López's injury, not adding a proven starter with López being sidelined for the whole season would be an odd decision, unless they decide to blow everything up by trading Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton and others to focus on the 2027 season and beyond.
The list of free agent starting pitchers isn't long, as most have already found new clubs. Zack Littell and Patrick Corbin are potential options for Minnesota to replace López, but one free-agent starter stands out more than the rest. His name is Lucas Giolitio.
Twins should sign former White Sox All-Star Lucas Giolito to replace injured star Pablo López
Giolitio is a familiar name for Twins fans, as the righty pitched for the American League Central rival Chicago White Sox from 2017 to 2023. He posted 13.9 bWAR and a 4.20 ERA over 162 starts with Chicago before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the 2023 Trade Deadline and later being claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 31, 2023. Giolito had two notable dominant seasons with the White Sox, posting 5.4 bWAR and a 3.41 ERA with 228 strikeouts across 29 starts in 2019, and 4.3 bWAR and a 3.53 ERA with 201 strikeouts across 31 starts in 2021.
Giolito, who had a 4.88 ERA over 33 games in 2023, signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Boston Red Sox during the 2024-25 offseason. Unfortunately, he missed the 2024 season after undergoing a right elbow ulnar collateral ligament repair. He returned to the mount on April 30 and had a successful 2025 season with Boston, posting 2.1 bWAR and a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts. His strikeout numbers were down, but his positive results still make him an enticing free agent. If the Twins sign Giolito, 31, they'll prove to fans that they're serious about winning in 2026.