Thursday’s loss to the Texas Rangers was another reminder for the Minnesota Twins of the massive void that is in their starting rotation with Pablo Lopez sidelined for the next 8-12 weeks.

The loss was fueled by a disastrous outing for starting pitcher Bailey Ober.

In less than 5 innings of work, Ober was tagged for 7 runs on 6 hits, including giving up 4 home runs. For the second time in three games, the Twins’ pitching staff also gave up 16 runs as a whole.

While the Twins have the pitching depth to eat innings at the Major League level, with Lopez out, their starting rotation has gone from a strength to being a liability. Over the Twins’ last 8 games, their starting pitchers are carrying an ERA of 7.07.

After Thursday’s loss, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli attempted to rally the troops by giving an endorsement of the pitchers the Twins currently have on their staff.

“Right now, we’re going to be challenging some other guys on the pitching staff to go out there and go shove, go give us some great outings and pitch us to some wins. That’s where my head’s at. I like challenging guys, and we’re at the point where we’re going to do it,” Baldelli told reporters.

Twins’ starting rotation appears to be in crisis mode

Of course, adding the struggles of the Twins’ rotation is that Zebby Matthews is also sidelined with a shoulder strain.

However, Matthews is expected to be back much sooner than Lopez.

Nevertheless, with David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson as temporary fill-ins for the rotation, the Twins can’t fall back on the idea that they will find success through a revolving door of options.

That is why Twins fans should have some disappointment that there was no urgency by the team’s front office in the situation between Aaron Civale and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Civale would have been an ideal target for the Twins, but was traded to the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Fortunately, the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is still over a month away

. The arrival of a pitcher such as Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels would go a long way toward the Twins solving the recent struggles of their rotation.