ST. PAUL -- During TwinsFest last weekend at Target Field, new starter Pablo Lopez said he hadn’t yet had a chance to chat with his new team about his intention to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. But, he added, the opportunity to represent his home country of Venezuela is one he’s been looking forward to for years.
“The last edition was in (2017), and then I remember watching that on TV — ‘I can’t wait to do that someday,’ ” he said. “So, having the opportunity to do it this year, this spring, it’s really going to mean a lot to me.”
WBC rosters will be set on Tuesday.
Before the trade, Lopez said he had let the Marlins know that he was planning on participating in the WBC, which runs from March 8-21. Twins pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 15 and the spring training schedule runs through March 27.
Should he go, Lopez would likely be teammates with the man for whom he was traded. Infielder Luis Arraez, who won the American League batting title with a .316 average last season, also has been planning on competing for Venezuela.
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Lopez said he started his preparation earlier this offseason in anticipation of pitching in the WBC.
“I ramped things up a little earlier so by the time the WBC happens, and if I have the opportunity to participate, I know that I’m going to be able to perform without risking the rest of the year,” he said.
No restrictions for Maeda
The rehab process now concluded, Twins starter Kenta Maeda approached this offseason just as he would a typical one.
“If anything, I threw a little more than usual,” he said.
Maeda hasn’t pitched in a major league game since August 2021. That September, he had Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season. But Maeda is feeling healthy now and says there are no restrictions on him at this point.
“It certainly doesn’t feel like 19 months,” he said through an interpreter. “If anything, the time flew by relatively quickly. But you never know — the first pitch I throw on the big-league mound, I might get so nervous I might drill someone. So, watch out.”
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