But not only did the Twins’ bats fail to show up again, on a night where they got one of the better overall pitching performances on the young 2025 season, but they also lost their ace pitcher Pablo Lopez in the bottom of the 5th inning.

Minnesota Twins lose ace Pablo Lopez to injury

After recording the first two outs without allowing a runner, Pablo gave up a hit to Royals nine hitter, Kyle Isbel, then walked leadoff DH, Jonathan India. That resulted in a meeting at the mound that started with pitching coach Pete Mackey and ended with the 29-year-old veteran righty pointing to his left leg and leaving the mound with Twins trainers.

#MNTwins Pablo Lopez left tonight’s game injured. He grabbed at his hamstring after his final pitch. https://t.co/D5Ai0u9Mux pic.twitter.com/5AGXs7n8HQ

— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) April 9, 2025

Losing Pablo Lopez would be absolutely devastating to a Minnesota Twins team that is already getting dangerously close to desperation mode, just two weeks into the 2025 season. Through 16.2 innings pitched, Pablo’s ERA is down to 1.62. He’s struckout 14 batters while allowing 15 hits and 2 walks.

Thankfully, if you take Rocco Baldelli at his word, the Minnesota Twins expect Pablo Lopez’ injury to be extremely minor and that an MRI on Wednesday will prove just that.

Lopez injury supposedly “very mild”

Officially diagnosed as a left hamstring strain, the Twins manager told reporters after tonight’s loss that Lopez’ injury is considered “very mild”. So much so that Minnesota is not planning any changes to their pitching staff unless something changes their minds between now and Pablo Lopez’ next start.

Rocco Baldelli and the Twins seem pretty confident that Pablo Lopez' hamstring injury is "very minor"… pic.twitter.com/LgDQkwus2x

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 9, 2025

“He’s gonna get an MRI tomorrow to get it checked out because that’s what we always do in these circumstances. As of now, when I say mild, we think it is very mild. We’re gonna keep him on course, we’re not going to have any sort of change of plans of any kind right now. We’re just going to assess it and see what tomorrow shows us, and then we’ll know a little bit more and we can actually make a decision.”

Rocco Baldelli gives update on Pablo Lopez injury

Yes, some of the Twins’ young starting prospects have been dominating Triple A hitters early this season for St. Paul. That includes Zebby Matthews, who went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 9 strikeouts (80 pitches) for the Saints on Tuesday.

Related: Minnesota Twins Sign New Lefty Reliever

But no matter how well your MLB ready prospects are playing down on the farm, the last thing you want to do is have to call them up to replace an injured ace. Especially when it’s not even April yet and your supposed 2025 playoff team is already on the verge of having its season fall apart.

The strategy was obvious. By filling all of their needs in free agency, they’d go into the draft without a desperate need to use one of their four picks to upgrade at one specific position. Of course, the Vikings’ free agency plans were not a secret. We knew Kwesi & Co were going to be uber-aggressive immediately out of the gates of free agency.

What did surprise many around the league, however, was how Minnesota chose to address weaknesses on their roster. Instead of bringing in younger, high-ceiling free agents to fill needs on the interior offensive and defensive lines, at safety, running back and linebacker, the 2025 MN Vikings added proven veterans in their 30s, many of which are coming off major injuries in 2024.

New center Ryan Kelly is almost 32 years old and coming off of a major knee surgery. DT Javon Hargrave is 32, off a season where he only played three games due to a tricep tear he suffered in week 3 vs the Rams. 30-year-old DT Jonathan Allen suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in week 10 last season. Oh, and 26-year-old RG Will Fries suffered a broken tibia in week five that cost him the remainder of 2024, as well.

Minnesota Vikings relying on training staff to keep injuries at bay

While the advanced age and questionable injury history of these Minnesota Vikings offseason pickups have other executives around the NFL questioning who is making these decisions, those at TCO Performance Center point to their medical staff, lead by vice president of player health and performance, Tyler Williams.

According to Kevin Seifert (ESPN), the Vikings legitimately believe that their medical staff is superior to that of other teams. So much so that they felt comfortable taking the injury discount on all of these talented free agent veterans. Their explanation: ‘just look at the proof’.

Throughout the three-year tenure of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell, the Vikings have expressed explicit expectations that vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams can circumvent such concerns. That’s the biggest reason why the team felt so comfortable signing six free agents this spring who missed five or more games last season because of injuries.

“I think more and more every year, it’s more of like, ‘Tyler and those guys, they got ’em, we’re going to be just fine,” O’Connell said. “They’ve just proven time and time again: world class down there with what they do.”

Said Adofo-Mensah: “I think Tyler and his staff do an incredible job to get players to be healthier, better, more available than they’ve been at other stops.”

Kevin Seifert – ESPN

Related: MN Vikings Misfortune Leading to More NFL Rule Changes

Reading this excerpt of Seifert’s column from Sunday morning turned my head. After re-reading a few more times, I am still surprised O’Connell and Kwesi are putting this type of public pressure on their medical staff, entering a crucial season in their leadership tenure.

Are the Vikings getting dangerously cocky about their training staff?

Sure, there are some previously injury-riddled pickups from recent offseasons who have remained more healthy playing for the Minnesota Vikings than teams they had previously played for. But is that enough of a sample size to go on the record crowning your medical staff as better than everyone else’s? That feels a little too cocky for my liking.

Would a data-driven thinker like Kwesi Adofo-Mensah rely so heavily on three seasons of anecdotal evidence to justify an entire free agency class of previously injured veterans? Something smells off about that.

Dalvin Cook (17 games in 2022), Aaron Jones (17 games in 2024) and Andrew Van Ginkel (17 games in 2024) staying healthy for one season each doesn’t prove that relying heavily on previously injured veterans is the way to build a successful NFL roster… right? It seems just as likely that they’ve just gotten lucky.

Related: Sounds Like the Vikings Could be Heading Overseas Again

Hell, if Tyler Williams does have some sort of magical elixir in the MN Vikings training room that prevents major injuries, then wtf happened to Kirk Cousins in 2023 or Christian Darrisaw in 2024? Oh, it’s not fair to blame those injuries on the training staff?

I agree. But, isn’t that what Kwesi, KOC and the Vikings are telling us? I’m not the one putting those types of expectations on these trainers. It’s the Vikings’ own higher ups who have based their signings around the medical staff being able to keep guys healthier than they have been previously, then going out and telling everyone about it.

This is the play TJ Hockenson was injured on pic.twitter.com/33RbNbF5ft

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) December 24, 2023

TJ Hockenson may not be ready by start of 2024 season

Wednesday morning, Dr. David J. Chao (better known as @ProFootballDoc on Twitter) had more bad news for the Vikings fanbase. Hockenson will have to wait 2-4 weeks before he can have surgery, given his rare direct contact ACL/MCL injury.

That will delay an already extensive timeline for TJ’s recovery, meaning it’s very plausibly he isn’t ready by the start of next season.

Because of the timing of TJ Hockenson's ACL & MCL tears, his 2024 season could be impacted. @ProFootballDoc explains. #Skol

🏈➡️https://t.co/rKxf80Yz7I pic.twitter.com/m4sR14YP5I

— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) December 27, 2023

“Let’s talk TJ Hockenson. Really bad news… the vast majority of ACL tears are non-contact 75-80% are non-contact. [Hockenson’s] is from direct contact. ACL and MCL…”

“He’s likely to wait [2-4 weeks] before surgery, further delaying his timeline. His season is done [and the] start of 2024 is in jeopardy…”

“He should be able to have a full recovery, but it might be later than the start of the 2024 season.”

Dr. David J. Chao – @ProFootballDoc

Related: Justin Jefferson Talks About How Much Vikings Miss Kirk Cousins

Bad news for Hock, 2024 Minnesota Vikings

This is bad news for TJ Hockenson and the Minnesota Vikings. Remember, TJ dealt with injuries and contract negotiations that kept him out of contact drills and preseason games during training camp, and it affected his start to the 2023 season.

If Hock’s recovery from a much more serious injury takes him all the way into the regular season, what version of TJ are we going to get? I’m hopeful, but I’d ultimately be surprised if it’s the All-Pro version they got for most of 2023, after his slow start.

Blame the turf?

The Minnesota Vikings are replacing the turf that is currently installed at U.S. Bank Stadium and one of the reasons they cited for bringing in the new fake grass is player safety. The split-seam turf currently installed is not recommended by the NFLPA and the Pro Football Doc says injuries like TJ’s are why.

“His foot gets stuck, he doesn’t escape. Could this one be blamed on artificial grass, versus regular grass, where it might have given way [on regular grass]? You could have that discussion and point of view. No one knows for sure.”

Dr. David J. Chao – @ProFootballDoc

Related: Vikings Thinking Seriously About Starting Jaren Hall Over Nick Mullens vs Packers

There’s no way to know if the result from the above hit would have been any different on grass but, according to Dr. Chao, the NFLPA points to hits like this and says that real grass would have given way before the tendons in Hockenson’s knee.

Related: Justin Jefferson Talks About How Much Vikings Miss Kirk Cousins

At one point or another, they lost starters on both sides of the football. Tight end TJ Hockenson went out with a knee injury, pass rusher DJ Wonnum a quad injury and wide receiver Jordan Addison hurt his ankle. None of the three returned, after leaving the contest. Cornerback Mecki Blackmon was also in and out with a shoulder injury.

TJ Hockenson out for season with ACL tear

Late Sunday night, Dustin Baker (VikingsTerritory.com) reported that Hockenson had a torn ACL, possibly more ligament damage too. That report was verified on Tuesday afternoon by head coach Kevin O’Connell, who confirmed that Hockenson’s ACL and MCL are both torn.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell announced that T.J. Hockenson suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL injury. pic.twitter.com/HbXgoZM7Br

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 26, 2023

DJ Wonnum’s season done too, Jordan Addison is day-to-day

Ian Rapoport (NFL.com) got the early injury updates on Wonnum, reporting early on that he had a torn quadricep. KOC confirmed that report on Tuesday, as well. Rapoport had reported that Jordan Addison’s ankle injury was a week to week thing, but he must be feeling better. O’Connell said he is more day-to-day than he is week to week, at this point.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell says the team confirmed Edge D.J. Wonnum sustained a quad tear. He's going on injured reserve and will have that surgically repaired.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) December 26, 2023

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell says WR Jordan Addison (ankle) and CB Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder) are "day-to-day." KOC wasn't ready to say anything other than them being questionable this week.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) December 26, 2023

Minnesota Vikings injuries becoming an overwhelming problem

At this rate, you have to wonder who will be left standing from the original Minnesota Vikings starting lineup from week 1. It’s difficult to criticize the coaching staff all that much for this team’s recent struggles, given what talent they have left to work with.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds – Week 17

The Vikings have already used four starting quarterbacks this season, and after Nick Mullens threw four more interceptions on Christmas Eve, confirmed a report from Tuesday morning that they are indeed considering a QB change yet again, back to 5th-round rookie, Jaren Hall. Is that the right thing to do? I have no idea and it doesn’t seem like Kevin O’Connell does either.

The Minnesota Twins will start reporting to Fort Myers for Spring Training on Thursday. On paper, this is a team that should rack up a bunch of wins and compete near the top of the American League throughout the 2021 season. If the Twins are going to reach their potential, however, they will need historically injury-riddled players to remain healthy.

Outside of Nelson Cruz at DH (who is 40 years old) and Max Kepler in RF, there really isn’t a regular starter in the Minnesota batting lineup who hasn’t battled injuries in recent seasons.

The chart below shows games played for every individual season since 2017, by all of the projected Twins’ starting fielders. Nelson Cruz was left out as the DH and the Twins don’t have a regular right fielder until they call up Alex Kirilloff in late-April. It’s also worth noting that Mitch Garver didn’t see regular playing time in the majors until 2018.

Jorge Polanco, Andrelton Simmons and Max Kepler are the only projected lineup regulars who have played over 75% of their teams’ games since 2017. Both Kepler and Simmons dealt with injuries during the shortened 2020 season, however.

Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton

Without seeing the future, these two guys have the most concerning injury history. Josh Donaldson has just one healthy season in his last three and Twins President, Dave St. Peter, sounded cautious when projecting optimism for Donaldson’s health going into 2021 on KFAN earlier this week. His calves should keep you up at night, as a Twins fan.

Obviously, we all know Byron Buxton’s history with injuries. His body is made of glass but he plays baseball like a bull in a china shop. He’s participated in about 50% of his games since 2017, so flip a coin and tell me how 2021 goes…

If healthy, these two guys + Andrelton Simmons will make Minnesota one of the best defensive teams in the American League. Unfortunately, their injury history tampers that excitement. As long as Simmons doesn’t have to race to 1st base too often… he and his ankle should be fine, given the history we see above.

Best Case

If the best cased scenario plays out for the Minnesota Twins and their health in 2021, then this lineup and defense will carry them to an AL Central crown.

There isn’t a pitcher in the MLB who wants to face Kepler, into a healthy Donaldson, into Cruz, into Polanco, into a healthy Sano and there aren’t very many balls that would get past or land between Donaldson, Simmons, Buxton and Kepler.

I have a hard time not seeing a healthy Minnesota Twins as one of the most fun to watch throughout the league in 2021.

Worst Case

The worst case scenario for this Twins lineup would decimate our 2021 odds of making the playoffs out of a tough division. It’s not that difficult to imagine a scenario where Donaldson’s calves aren’t healthy from Opening Day, Byron Buxton misses half the season, Simmons debut is ruined by bad ankles and Miguel Sano hurts himself swinging or celebrating too hard.

Minnesota had one of the best pitching staffs in the MLB last season but that’s not expected to be the case in 2021. It’s certainly not seen as a group that will carry this Twins team to an AL Central crown.

If this team is hampered by major injury issues throughout the season, they’ll be in major trouble.

Something in between

Most likely, 2021 will play out somewhere between the best and worst case scenarios listed above. But the Twins, more than just about any team in Major League Baseball, will need players with injury-riddled pasts to remain mostly healthy and contribute to their lineup in big ways.

So, pray to whatever god you prefer or knock on whatever hardwood you have available… that our Minnesota Twins remain healthy in a 2021 season where fans are desperate for some local team success.

Speaking of fans, it’d be really nice to get them back in the Target Field stands. Contact your governor if you agree.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Gophers are set to kickoff tonight against the Purdue Boilermakers at 6:30. Between injuries and COVID-19, we are now finding out they will be short 20 players when it happens. That’s not to mention multiple members on the coaching staff, including OL Coach Brian Callahan.

Source: Minnesota football will be without 20 players tonight against Purdue, as it continues to deal with COVID-19 and injuries. They will also be without multiple staff members, including OL coach Brian Callahan.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 20, 2020

We’re yet to find out who will be missing on the field, but will update this blog when those names start coming out (below). It’s important to remember the Big Ten’s 21-day absence policy if any player tests positive for COVID-19. A team doesn’t have to have one big outbreak to have 20 players sidelined.

For example: someone who hasn’t been positive for two weeks, has nothing to do with someone who just tested positive for the first time today. According to Big Ten policy, however, neither player can participate in games.

In a statement to media, the University of Minnesota has confirmed that three coaches, including Callahan, will not be available.

Minnesota’s Brian Callahan Will Not Coach Tonight

University of Minnesota offensive line coach Brian Callahan has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not coach tonight when Minnesota hosts Purdue.

Callahan tested positive during one of Minnesota’s daily antigen testing periods this week and his diagnosis was confirmed with a follow-up PCR test. Upon diagnosis, he immediately returned home and started his isolation process while working remotely.

Two additional members of Minnesota’s staff also tested positive for COVID-19 during the team’s daily antigen testing this week.

In Callahan’s absence, Minnesota’s Director of Player Development Norries Wilson will coach the offensive line tonight.

University of Minnesota Statement

Update:

Not dressed but on sidelines I've spied for the #Gophers: Benjamin St-Juste, Braelen Oliver, Ali Sad, Jimmy Buck, Itayvion Brown, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Curtis Dunlap Jr. Others from @jgkfan on the radio: Keonte Schad, Rashad Cheney Jr., Clay Geary, Michael Dixon, Treyson Potts.

— Megan Ryan (@theothermegryan) November 20, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Amir Coffey out the rest of the season. Man what a season for the Gophers

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) February 18, 2018

Wow… what a terrible season. At least it’s ov…. oops… no it’s not. The Gophers still have 3 games left and what is likely to be just 1 Big Ten Tournament game, after (insert team here) beats them.

It’s quite the downfall. And, an unexpected one at that. I’m not sure what Richard Pitino did to piss off the basketball gods. Maybe they are punishing him for his dad’s transgressions.

Either way, it’s tough to come back from losing 4 of your top 6 players to injury or sexual assault allegations, while guys like Fitzgerald and Washington took longer to acclimate to the Big Ten than expected.

Either way, it’s been ugly and hard to watch.

We’ve written the good-old, positive, bring you up-type of articles as recently as this week, but after seeing this, I don’t really feel like being all that peppy. Not at 7:45 PM, after a busy Saturday, while I start to wonder if waking up at 5AM on Saturday mornings is really worth it. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m staring at a kitchen I haven’t cleaned up yet, because this news broke, that will be followed by the unloading and reloading of a full dishwasher.

Anyways, the Gopher basketball season is a dumpster fire. “Look to the future.” “Get ’em next time.” “There’s always next year.”

All that stuff. I need to hit the reset button. See you in the morning, Minnesota.

Eric Strack (Founder/Editor)
Minnesota Sports Fan
MinnesotaSportsFan.com @RealMNSportsFan