Twins devastating injury news could help pull White Sox out of AL Central basement

As all 30 MLB teams begin Spring Training and prepare for the 2026 season, the White Sox are hopeful that a large step forward is in the cards for a young and exciting team. Spring Training is often the most exciting time of year for teams, as optimism reigns under the guise of a fresh start. It can also be a dangerous time of year, as pitcher build up can often lead to an increase in arm injuries. The White Sox were dealt a tough hand last season with multiple starting pitchers going down with long-term injuries, and this year, it’s a division rival that was dealt some tough news early. 

After exiting a live batting practice session with elbow soreness on Monday, Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez underwent an MRI on Tuesday and was diagnosed with a torn UCL. Lopez will get a second opinion, but a season-ending Tommy John surgery seems likely. It’s a massive blow for a Twins team that’s undergone massive change in the past few months. The Twins, who held a full-on firesale at the trade deadline, lose one of their top pitchers and now enter 2026 with even more question marks than planned. Most projections have them in fourth place, only ahead of the White Sox, but this latest development could push the two closer together. 

Lopez, who will turn 30 in March, was limited to just 14 starts in 2025, but posted a 2.74 ERA in that span. He posted ERAs of 3.66 and 4.08 in his first two seasons in Minnesota with a full slate of starts. He’s not an ace in the traditional sense of the word, but Lopez has been a strong reliable starting pitcher throughout the duration of his big league career and losing him for the entire season is far from ideal for the Twins. 

Lopez's long term injury could help the White Sox avoid the basement

The White Sox obviously aren’t rooting for injuries, but the Twins losing a top-of-the-rotation starter for the season could help in their quest to avoid 100 losses and avoid last place in the central. The White Sox and Twins will play each other 13 times this season, and it’s certainly not a bad thing to not have to worry about facing Lopez this season. 

The White Sox young core of players combined with their savvy offseason additions fuel the optimism heading into 2026. A full season of Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, and Chase Meidroth along with the expected arrivals of Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and others provide an outline of a winning team. The optimism also partially stems from playing in a division without a clear juggernaut. The Tigers additions of Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander definitely make them the betting favorite to win it in 2026, but their roster still has questions, as do the other three teams in the central. 

Don’t hear me saying the White Sox are going to win the AL Central in 2026. So many things would have to break perfectly in their favor to make a division championship realistic for this season. But the White Sox could at least have aspirations of leaving the basement this season, and the Twins latest injury news definitely doesn’t hurt. 

It’s been a rough few years in White Sox circles, but I’m confident the team is heading in the right direction and the tides will start to turn soon. White Sox fans could see their first extended signs of this progress in 2026.