Twins starter Pablo López ends bullpen session early after experiencing elbow soreness

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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo López ended a bullpen session early on Monday over what manager Derek Shelton said was “a little bit of elbow soreness.”

López, who turns 30 next month, threw two-plus innings before shutting things down. He was considered ahead of schedule in preparations to join Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic.

López has been the opening day starter for the Twins the past three seasons. He was limited to 75 2/3 innings last year, with three stints on the injured list for hamstring, shoulder and forearm issues.

The 2023 All-Star had made 32 starts in each season from 2022-24, the first of those with Miami before a pair with Minnesota.

“We decided, out of an abundance of caution, let’s get him off, let’s get him off the field and make sure he’s OK,” Shelton told reporters at the club's spring training facility. “We’ll get some imaging on it, just because of how important it is and he is to us.”

Lopez was 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA last season. He won 10 games in each of the previous three seasons, capped by a career-best 15 in 2024.

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