Twins place López on IL with hamstring strain

The Minnesota Twins placed right-hander Pablo López on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, the team announced Friday.

López exited his April 8 start against the Kansas City Royals after throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings, and imaging revealed a mild hamstring strain.

"I take it as good news, the severity of it," López said Wednesday, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. "I take it as bad news because it's probably going to land me on the 15-day IL. I had to be persuaded and think logically about it. ... This early in the season, it would be a pretty big risk to go out there and try to pitch in five or six days."

The 29-year-old ace was off to a terrific start, authoring a 1.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in three outings.

Minnesota recalled right-hander David Festa from Triple-A to take López's spot on the active roster.