Pablo López injury: What’s next for the Twins with their ace out 2-3 months with a shoulder issue?

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Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López will miss at least the next two months, and perhaps closer to three, after suffering a grade 2 strain of the teres major muscle in his right shoulder, the club announced Wednesday night. 

López, 29, left his start Tuesday after experiencing discomfort in the shoulder. He won’t begin a throwing program for at least four weeks, the Twins said. López had compiled a 2.82 ERA (146 ERA+) and a 4.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 starts. His contributions have been worth an estimated 1.3 Wins Above Replacement.

With López sidelined until August, if not September, it’s worth wondering what adjustments the Twins will make to their rotation. Mind you, Minnesota’s rotation had looked like this:

RHP Joe Ryan RHP Pablo LópezRHP Zebby MatthewsRHP Bailey Ober RHP Chris PaddackThe Twins are expected to start David Festa on Thursday, according to Matthew Leach of MLB.com. He’s fared well in his three opportunities to date, surrendering just three runs (two earned) in 13 innings while fanning 15 and walking five batters. Festa, a former 13th round pick by way of Seton Hall, last pitched in the majors on April 23. Manager Rocco Baldelli limited Festa’s exposure, keeping him at 19 batters faced or fewer in each of his appearances. 

If Festa stumbles before the trade market heats up, the Twins do have a few other internal options available to them. Their 40-player roster includes Simeon Woods Richardson (who struggled this season but was solid last year), Marco Raya (probably not a realistic option based on his performance this year), and Travis Adams (yet to make his big-league debut). The Twins also have Andrew Morris at Triple-A, though he’s not a member of the 40-player roster.

Depending on who the Twins roll with in López’s spot and how they perform, it’s possible that Minnesota will look outside the organization ahead of the deadline as a means of aiding their pursuit of a playoff berth. The Twins entered Wednesday with a 33-27 record, having recovered after a poor start to tie for the majors’ best mark over their last 30 games.