Pablo Lopez (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery for the Minnesota Twins according to Aaron Gleeman. (Source: Aaron Gleeman on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Lopez entered the spring looking to lead a Minnesota pitching staff counting on the right-hander to be one of the few stable options for new manager Derek Shelton. Joe Ryan likely moves up to the No. 1 spot in an underwhelming Twins rotation entering the regular season.
Jordan Westburg has a partially torn UCL and is scheduled for a PRP injection on Friday. He will not undergo surgery and will be sidelined through April. (Source: Andy Kostka on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Elias said Westburg’s partial UCL tear was deemed a chronic issue. Westburg has reportedly dealt with the elbow injury over the past year but will opt for a PRP injection rather than surgery, which makes sense for a position player given the lower stress on his arm. While his exact timeline for return is unclear, he could eventually return in a DH role while progressing through a throwing program. With Westburg sidelined, Blaze Alexander, Jeremiah Jackson and Coby Mayo are candidates to start at third base for the Orioles to begin the season.
