Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo López is expected to be sidelined 8 to 12 weeks because of a strained shoulder.
The Twins said Wednesday that López has a Grade 2 strain of the teres major muscle. It's the same injury that cost pitcher Joe Ryan most of his 2024 season.
Lopez was the winning pitcher Tuesday night in a 10-3 victory over the Athletics, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings before leaving because of the shoulder problem.
The 29-year-old from Venezuela is 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 11 starts this season.
There was more injury news for the Twins heading into the game however. Shortstop Carlos Correa, just a few games removed from returning off the concussion protocol list, was scratched due to a bad back. But it doesn't seem to be serious.
"Carlos is doing OK," says manager Rocco Baldelli. "I don't know if he's going to be in the lineup (Thursday). He got a little bit of tightness, but I think he's going to be fine for the return home, would be my guess. I don't want to speculate too much. Not likely he's going to be in the lineup tomorrow, but again, I'm I'm not concerned right now with anything long term at all."
Ryan Jeffers hit a solo shot in the first inning and an RBI single in the ninth, Harrison Bader added a two-run homer and Minnesota Twins extended the Athletics’ losing streak to nine games with a 6-1 win on Wednesday night.
The A’s have one win in their last 21 games, matching the worst 21-game stretch in franchise history, most recently in 1943.
Trevor Larnach hit a single up the middle and, after an error by Denzel Clarke, Jeffers scored from first base and Larnach advanced to second. Willi Castro added an RBI single to make it 5-1 in the eighth.
Reliever Louis Varland gave up a double and a walk while he struck out the side in sixth and Griffin Jax did the same in a 1-2-3 seventh. Brock Stewart and Jhoan Duran each had two strikeouts as they worked no-hit innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
"It wasn't anything, I don't think, in particular except our guys just making a lot of good pitches tonight, and getting good results," Baldelli said about his pitching staff. "And that's the way we like it. That's what we're aiming for and hard not to like what we saw."
Zebby Matthews (1-1) — who went into the game having given up at least two earned runs in nine of his 12 career appearances — pitched five innings and allowed a run on four hits with three walks.
"He's trying to find himself a little bit in the outing, fought his way through a couple of different scenarios in a good way, made pitches when he had to in a little bit of traffic," said Baldelli after the game. "But as the outing went on, I thought he pitched well. I thought he got ahead, and then put guys away, the way that he really wants to, and I think he gained feel as the outing went on."
Minnesota has won four in a row, and eight of its last nine, against the Athletics.
Minnesota Twins (34-27, second in the AL Central) vs. Athletics (23-40, fifth in the AL West)
West Sacramento, California; Thursday, 2:35 p.m. Pregame 2:00 p.m. on 830 WCCO and the Audacy App (in-market restrictions apply)
PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: David Festa (0-0); Athletics: Mitch Spence (1-1, 4.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 37 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Twins -179, Athletics +149; over/under is 10 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Twins will try to keep a three-game road win streak alive when they play the Athletics.
The Athletics have a 23-40 record overall and a 9-22 record at home. The Athletics have the third-ranked team batting average in the AL at .253.
Minnesota has a 16-19 record in road games and a 34-27 record overall. Twins hitters have a collective .386 slugging percentage to rank 10th in the AL.
Thursday's game is the fourth time these teams match up this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jacob Wilson has 14 doubles and seven home runs for the Athletics. Brent Rooker is 14 for 38 with three doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.
Byron Buxton leads the Twins with 10 home runs while slugging .497. Willi Castro is 12 for 36 with four home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Athletics: 1-9, .240 batting average, 8.79 ERA, outscored by 50 runs
Twins: 5-5, .244 batting average, 3.49 ERA, outscored opponents by 13 runs
INJURIES: Athletics: Miguel Andujar: 10-Day IL (oblique), Gunnar Hoglund: 15-Day IL (hip), Nick Kurtz: 10-Day IL (hip), Zack Gelof: 60-Day IL (hand), Gio Urshela: 10-Day IL (hamstring), J.T. Ginn: 15-Day IL (quadricep), T.J. McFarland: 15-Day IL (groin), Jose Leclerc: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brady Basso: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ken Waldichuk: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Medina: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Twins: Pablo Lopez: day-to-day (shoulder), Carlos Correa: day-to-day (back), Luke Keaschall: 60-Day IL (forearm), Danny Coulombe: 15-Day IL (forearm), Michael Tonkin: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
The Associated Press contributed to this story.