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Twins Bring Five Injured Pitchers Back to 40-Man Roster
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- Twins Bring Five Injured Pitchers Back to 40-Man Roster
(Benny Sieu-Imagn Images)
The Minnesota Twins activated pitchers Pablo López, David Festa, Mick Abel, Cole Sands and Mike Paredes from the 60-day injured list on Monday, Nov. 2, according to the official MLB transaction log, in another round of offseason roster moves.
Players on the 60-day injured list do not count against the 40-man limit, as MLB.com's Matthew Leach noted last week, so all five now take up roster spots as the Twins plan for next season.
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Where Each Pitcher Stands
López is the biggest name in the group by a wide margin.
He had elbow surgery in February to repair his ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace and missed the whole 2026 season, and the Twins' injury tracker lists him as expected to start throwing off a mound in November, with López hoping in September to finish his rehab around the end of February or the beginning of March.
He stayed with the team all year before heading home to Miami a few days early so he would not miss a throwing session, and before he left he talked with reporters about getting back on the mound, according to MLB.com's Leach .
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"I want the offseason to fly by, so next time I can touch the mound in front of you guys, I'm actually pitching," López said.
The other four have been dealing with injuries of their own, per the Twins' injury tracker on MLB.com .
Festa had shoulder surgery on July 29 to address an impingement and a return of some thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms, Abel had elbow surgery on July 1, and Sands had arthroscopic elbow surgery and a PRP injection on Aug. 4, while Paredes was dealing with a left oblique strain, had started a throwing program from 60 feet in late August and is listed with a return date still to be determined.
What It Means for Minnesota
The part that worries me came the same day, when the Twins lost pitchers Jack Anderson to the Mets and Eric Orze to the Cubs on waiver claims .
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Minnesota went 77-85 this season, and the bullpen needs a lot of work, with pitcher Jeff Hoffman also coming off an elbow procedure on Oct. 27, though he is expected to be ready for Opening Day, as covered in an offseason update on Hoffman .
Getting López back would be like adding a top free agent without spending the money.
He would give the rotation a proven arm to go with the starters already in place, and pitcher Dean Kremer has already made himself a big piece of that staff.
Still, I would not count on all five being ready on Opening Day, even with the good news on López and the work these pitchers have put in since their injuries.
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Festa has had shoulder trouble for two straight years and Paredes does not have a timeline, so the Twins should treat anything they get from those two as a bonus.
If López and Abel are healthy by spring training, the front office can put its energy into rebuilding the bullpen, which is where this team needs the most help before 2027.
