Pablo López will be Twins’ nominee for MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award

Pablo López is the Twins’ nominee for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award.

The award goes to a major-league player who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

López, an All-Star last season, has worked closely with the Twins Community Fund and its volunteer opportunities. He and his wife, Kaylee, started “Pablo Day” during his regular home starts to bring awareness and financial support to three nonprofits, including Children’s Minnesota, Ruff Start Rescue and Project Success.

“Pablo López is a clubhouse leader, dominant starting pitcher and fierce competitor on the field, and a community beacon and force for a better tomorrow across Twins Territory,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said in a release.

This season, López is 14-8 with 173 strikeouts in 162 innings. He was also nominated for the Clemente Award in 2022 with the Marlins.

Four Twins — Rod Carew, Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett and Nelson Cruz — have won the award.

Sunday is Roberto Clemente Day in the major leagues; the eventual winner of the award will be chosen by a panel, although fans can vote for the award.

The other nominees are James McCann of the Orioles, Chris Bassitt of the Blue Jays, Jason Adams of the Rays, Liam Hendriks of the Red Sox, Marcus Stroman of the Yankees, Steven Kwan of the Guardians, Salvador Perez of the Royals, Tarik Skubal of the Tigers, Andrew Vaughn of the White Sox, Mike Trout of the Angels, Kyle Tucker of the Astros, Mason Miller of the A’s, J.P. Crawford of the Mariners, Marcus Semien of the Rangers, Chris Sale of the Braves, Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins, Francisco Lindor of the Mets, Josiah Gray of the Nationals, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers, Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals, Patrick Wisdom of the Cubs, David Bednar of the Pirates, Brent Suter of the Reds, Paul Sewald of the Diamondbacks, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers, Mike Yastrzemski of the Giants, Manny Machado of the Padres and Kyle Freeland of the Rockies.

The Twins put catcher Christian Vázquez on the paternity list before Monday’s game against the Angels at Target Field.

Catcher Jair Camargo was called up from Class AAA St. Paul.

Vázquez is hitting .228 with seven home runs this season. Camargo has been with the Twins twice earlier this season, going 0-for-6 with a walk. At St. Paul, he is hitting .205 with 11 home runs.