Twins’ López Returns to Mound After Long Injury Absence

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Right-handed pitcher Luis López returned from his rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Friday. He took the mound to start a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

López missed three months due to a strain of the teres major muscle in his throwing shoulder. He first felt discomfort during his last start for the Minnesota Twins on June 3. Since then, he has made three rehab starts for Triple-A St. Paul, where he posted a 3.18 earned run average (ERA) over 11 1/3 innings.

Before the injury, López had an impressive record of 5-3, with a 2.82 ERA across 11 starts. He also held opponents to a .225 batting average. The Twins struggled significantly after López’s injury, leading to a major roster overhaul with the team trading 10 players during the week before the deadline.

The return of López marks a potential turning point for the Twins as they seek to turn their season around.