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Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Twins starter Pablo López departs early for important offseason of rehab
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Twins starter Pablo López departs early for important offseason of rehab
As his teammates focus on finishing off the final weekend of the 2026 season, Twins starter Pablo López is looking ahead.
López did not throw one pitch for the Twins this season, undergoing elbow surgery in February that wiped out his season before it could begin. As a result, he spent the past season focusing on his recovery and making sure he would be ready to get back on the mound in 2027.
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For that reason, López made a plan to depart Saturday morning with his brother-in-law and his dog to drive 26 hours to get to his offseason home in Miami . That way, he'd be able to hit the ground running Monday.
"With the rehab being so thorough, so specific, you have to be on track with everything," López said. "Monday morning, I'm going to be at my training facility and be able to do my Monday workout, my Monday throwing. Just because I didn't' want to take a risk and leave after the season ends on Sunday and maybe miss out on a throwing day."
It's an important offseason for López, who began playing catch in August. It's a three-month progression from throwing to mound-work, which he expects to begin at the end of November, and then a three-month progression off the mound as he ramps back up. A year out from surgery would put him near the end of February, shortly after spring training would normally start.
There is, of course, some uncertainty of when it will actually start hovering over this offseason with the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. But if that date comes and goes without a deal and López is no longer able to communicate with the Twins' training staff directly, the starting pitcher is prepared for that. His trainer in Miami, he said, has already been in contact with the Twins' training staff, and he will have a plan laid out from his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister.
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No matter what happens, López will be ready.
"It's going to be fun to continue to see the progress, because every time I throw, it's a new milestone," he said. "It's either a higher volume, it's either a longer distance or it's higher, faster velo with the throw. So seeing the process of every session is going to be fun. … And I think it's going to make the offseason fly by, which, selfishly, I want."
Culpepper back, Hoffman to the IL
When Kaelen Culpepper was placed on the injured list a week and a half ago with a mild hamstring strain, manager Derek Shelton expressed optimism that he might be able to return for the final two games of the season. After a minimum stay on the injured list, the Twins activated the rookie shortstop from the injured list Saturday.
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"We were not going to let him push through and then he goes into the offseason being in a situation where he's not healthy," Shelton said. "But the rehab has been seamless. He has run the bases, he has done baseball activities fine. So it's nice to be able to get him back on the field to finish strong."
To make room on the roster, the Twins placed reliever Jeff Hoffman on the injured list with right forearm inflammation.
Hoffman didn't seem overly concerned about the injury, but he said his arm wasn't recovering as fast as he would have liked and decided it was in the best interest to get a slightly early start on his offseason program.
"It wasn't something that I was wanting to push through, being out of the race and everything," he said. "I just felt it was smart to shut it down and take care of myself."
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Briefly
Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.97 earned-run average) will get the ball on Sunday for the Twins' final game of the season. The game is set for 2:10 p.m. All games across the league will begin right around the same time.
