The Minnesota Twins are mentally adjusting to the potential loss of starting pitcher Pablo López, who may require Tommy John surgery and miss the upcoming season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament. López's injury is a devastating blow to the team's hopes of rebounding from two straight losing seasons. However, Twins manager Derek Shelton is encouraging his players to focus on the positive and 'hunt the good' in the face of adversity. Shelton wants his players to look for the good parts of each situation, even in a sport with so much failure. He's borrowing the phrase 'hunt for good' from the team's strength and conditioning coach, Chuck Bradway. While López's injury is overwhelmingly negative, Shelton wants those who can benefit from it to take advantage of their opportunity. The biggest potential benefactors are a group of talented yet inexperienced arms that were originally expected to compete for a final major-league rotation spot or start the season at Triple A. However, with López down, pitchers Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, and Andrew Morris are now all vying for a second open spot in the rotation. Despite the setback, the Twins are determined to move forward and put guys in positions to succeed. As of Wednesday, FanGraphs projects the Twins have a 26.6 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, the team must adjust to their new reality and find ways to fill López's shoes. López was a leader by example through his meticulous work ethic and often brought success to the team. The Twins were 45-33 in the 80 starts made by López since he was acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Luis Arráez in January 2023. Now, the Twins must find a way to dominate the game without López. The team is also dealing with the frustration of free agent reliever Andrew Chafin, who is struggling to find a new contract. Chafin, who has a 3.03 ERA in 302 games over the past five seasons, is hoping to make the Opening Day roster. The Twins are also testing the Automated Ball-Strike system this spring, which allows players to challenge calls and potentially overturn them. Overall, the Twins are facing a challenging season, but they are determined to stay positive and find ways to succeed despite the setbacks.
