Pablo López, Twins officially announce four-year, $73.5 million extension

Usually, "Pablo Day" is a pitching start every fifth day.

On Friday, Twins ace Pablo López's very own day arrived a day early, when the Twins officially announced his four-year, $73.5 contract extension through the 2027 season.

"That's just a fun little thing that started, I like the ring to it," López said. "I could not be happier and moving forward, I'm ready to live and breathe Minnesota Twins baseball on and off the field."

He said so at an afternoon news conference at Target Field, in a room usually used for big offseason announcements. Instead, the Twins locked up their Opening Day starter three months after acquiring him for 2022 AL batting champ Luis Arraez. He joins Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton as Twins players signed to long-term deals.

"We're looking to build a dynasty and now that I'm going to be a part of that, I'm going to commit myself 100 percent every day to be the best version of myself, be better than I was five days ago," López said.

López, 27, received a contract that bought out his 2024 season as well as his first three years of free agency after only four starts in a Twins uniform. He is 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA in those first four starts, with his fifth start Saturday against Washington.

"He's pitched like a top-of-the-rotation guy since he's gotten here," Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said. "No question we view him that way and we're leaning on him that way. When we traded for him, we hoped this was a long-term relationship. Ultimately we said, 'How do we make this a longer fit? Could we find that overlap?' "

The extension was hammered out during a meeting with López's agent in a Yankee Stadium concourse during a game there last Saturday.

"He's going to be leading us for a very long time at the top of our staff," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "I couldn't be happier to be sitting here and being a part of what's going on here right now. He's a wonderful guy."

Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco made his season debut Friday, batting fifth and singling in his first at-bat after he missed the season's first 19 games because of left knee inflammation.

He played eight games — six with Class A Fort Myers and two with Class AAA St. Paul — in rehab assignments.

"He's in a good frame of mind and he's ready to get in some major league ballgames," Baldelli said. "We have him right there in the middle of the lineup. It's an exciting day. I think guys in clubhouse have been waiting for him and now he's here, so it's good."

The Twins recalled both Polanco and pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson from St. Paul and optioned RHP Jorge Alcala and infielder Edouard Julien to make room on the active roster.

Woods Richardson has been a starter throughout his career, but Baldelli said:

"He can basically give us a start out of the bullpen right now. There's always a chance you need more than one move, but with a guy like him, he can cover a lot of those situations."

Twins infielder Kyle Farmer needs four root canals next week and will have surgery to remove wires from his mouth in a month. He was hit in the face by a 92-mile-per-hour fastball in a game against the White Sox on April 12.

He said he has been hitting off a tee and has fielded some ground balls. He expects to go on a rehab assignment to St. Paul in a week.

"I just picture the ball coming at my head still," he said Friday. "It's kind of scary. I should have been wearing that ear-flap thing, but I wasn't. I never really liked it, but now I have to."

Farmer's lip is swollen and lacerated.

"But my God, I'm really happy when I see him and see a smile on his face, see him moving around," Baldelli said. "He looks good."

Baldelli said Kenta Maeda is better than he thought he would be after the righthander took a line drive off his left ankle Thursday at Boston, forcing him out of his start after two innings.

"He thinks he's going to be fine," Baldelli said. "He's going to be ready to throw tomorrow and get out there. We're not making any decisions now, but he is in much better shape than we thought when we left."

Kyle Garlick hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Saints a 10-9 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at CHS Field. Matt Wallner went 3-for-4 with a second-inning grand slam.