Kirilloff (wrist) will begin the season on the injured list, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
We're barely more than a week away from Opening Day and Kirilloff still hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game, so this news doesn't come as a surprise. The good news is that he has been participating in some minor-league contests lately and has been taking live batting practice for a while. Kirilloff's stint on the injured list seems like it has the potential to be a relatively short one, but we'll have to wait and see how he progresses in the coming days and weeks. The Twins are expected to utilize multiple players at first base while Kirilloff is sidelined, with Jose Miranda, Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano among those in the mix.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Might not be ready for Opening Day
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Kirilloff (wrist) might not be ready in time for Opening Day, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Kirilloff was able to play in a minor-league game Saturday but has yet to see any Grapefruit League action as the Twins ease him into things following another right wrist surgery. While president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has said the team hasn't made a decision yet on whether Kirilloff will be part of the Opening Day roster, it seems likely at this point that he'll just run out of time. Kirilloff does have options remaining, so the club could stash him at Triple-A St. Paul for a bit if he needs to knock some rust off. If that happens, Joey Gallo, Jose Miranda and Donovan Solano are among the candidates to handle first base in Kirilloff's absence.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Plays in minor-league game
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Kirilloff (wrist) played four innings at first base Saturday and went 0-for-2 in a minor-league game, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Kirilloff continues to make progress as he ramps up following surgery last August to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue. His return to game action is a significant step and gives hope he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. Kirilloff has a minor-league option remaining, so the Twins could have him report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season in order to continue his ramp-up process rather than stashing him on the injured list if he needs more time.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Takes live BP
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Kirilloff (wrist) was spotted taking part in live batting practice Monday on the back fields at Twins camp, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The activity is a sign that Kirilloff is making progress as he ramps up following surgery last August to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue, but the Twins haven't yet pinpointed a date for the 25-year-old to make his spring debut. With Opening Day just over two weeks away, Kirilloff would likely need to get in a game no later than next week for the Twins to feel confident about his chances of breaking camp with the big club. Kirilloff has a minor-league option remaining, so the Twins could have him report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season in order to continue his ramp-up process rather than stashing him on the injured list.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Slightly behind schedule
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Kirilloff (wrist) is a bit behind schedule, and the Twins aren't committing to him being ready by Opening Day, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Kirilloff is still not all the way back from August wrist surgery, with his progression against live pitching not advancing as quickly as the Twins would have liked. Even if he avoids a trip to the injured list, he might only be ready for part-time duty to begin the year.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Making progress with wrist
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Kirilloff (wrist) continues to make progress and could be ready to play in a spring training game later in March, Phil Miller of The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He's on track. The plan is, if he's healthy at the end of camp, he's competing for a spot," said Derek Falvey, the Twins' president of baseball operations.
It's a little bit of a surprise that Kirilloff may not play in a major-league spring game until mid-March, but it doesn't sound like the lack of plate appearances will hurt his chances to make the roster. Kirilloff had a second surgery on his right wrist last August to shorten the ulnar bone and clean up scar tissue. He's been taking live batting practice and says there's no pain in his wrist. If fully healthy by the end of training camp, he's likely to earn a spot in the starting lineup at first base and designated hitter.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Not full-time starter at first base
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Kirilloff (wrist) is one of many players Twins manager Rocco Baldelli plans to use at first base this season, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
"We don't have a first baseman," Baldelli said. "We have several guys that are going to play first base. We don't need one guy that's going to play first base." Kirilloff was expected to see the lion's share of starts at the position as long as he's healthy though, and the 25-year-old is optimistic about his recovery from right wrist surgery last August. However, Donovan Solano, Nick Gordon, Jose Miranda and Joey Gallo could also see playing time there. The Twins are also expected to have a turnstile in the designated hitter spot, with all of the aforementioned players and others in the mix, and that approach could impact the playing-time picture at first base.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Not cleared for live BP yet
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Kirilloff (wrist) said Thursday he has yet to be cleared for live batting practice but has been swinging in the batting cage and hitting off pitching machines without issue, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Kirilloff had a second surgery on his right wrist last August to shorten the ulnar bone and clean up scar tissue but said he's "really optimistic" about how the wrist feels. It's not clear when he'll be cleared for Grapefruit League action, but Kirilloff is tracking toward being ready for Opening Day. He's expected to serve as Minnesota's regular first baseman.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: No concerns entering camp
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Kirilloff (wrist) enters Twins camp with "no setbacks, no concern," president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park on Tuesday.
"AK has been in a great spot," said Falvey. "Our strength guys said [the wrist is] probably in as good of a spot as they've seen him coming into camp, where he's at. The early returns on swinging are very positive." Kirilloff needed surgery last August to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue, but all signs point to him being a full-go for Opening Day here in 2023.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Takings swings at full speed
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Kirilloff (wrist) has been able to take full swings in offseason workouts and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The 2016 first-round draft pick and former top prospect has shown flashes of being a productive regular with the bat, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy amid continued wrist issues. His 2022 season ended in July due to a ligament tear in his right wrist that required season-ending surgery. It's the same wrist issue that has plagued him the past two seasons. He decided to have ulnar shortening surgery, which he hopes will provide a more permanent fix. The Twins will likely ease him into action in spring training. His minor-league pedigree and 2021 underlying numbers (12.8 Barrel%, 43.9 HardHit%) suggest he can be an impact hitter, If healthy.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Moves to 60-day IL
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The Twins transferred Kirilloff (wrist) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Kirilloff has already been ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery earlier this month to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue, so his move to the 60-day IL is merely procedural. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Aaron Sanchez, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday in Houston.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Surgery goes as planned
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Kirilloff underwent successful surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Kirilloff's season will come to an early end for the second year in a row due to right wrist surgery, with his latest procedure performed by Dr. Steven Shin and considered more uncommon than the prior one, which involved ligament damage. It's the third major surgery of the 24-year-old's professional career, as he previously missed the entire 2017 minor-league season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Twins are hopeful that Tuesday's procedure will provide a more permanent fix for Kirilloff's lingering wrist issues, and the expectation is that he'll be ready to go for spring training. He concludes the 2022 campaign with a .250 average, three home runs, 21 RBI and 14 runs over 155 plate appearances with the big club.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Needs wrist surgery
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Kirilloff is scheduled to undergo season-ending ulnar shortening surgery on his right wrist next Tuesday in Los Angeles, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Kirilloff has now missed time on account of issues with his right wrist in three of the past four seasons, so the Twins are hoping that the surgery will address the matter once and for all. It's the second major procedure of Kirilloff's career, as the 24-year-old previously missed the entire 2017 minor-league campaign after requiring Tommy John surgery. Though the Twins expect Kirilloff to get a clean bill of health heading into spring training, he could need some time to regain strength in the wrist and tap into more power. Perhaps due in no small part due to the lingering wrist problems, Kirilloff has already struggled to hit for the sort of power in the majors that many projected during his prospect days, as he owns a .398 slugging percentage over 387 career big-league plate appearances.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Shelved again with wrist issue
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Kirilloff (right wrist inflammation) was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Kirilloff has dealt with wrist issues for several years now, most notably in 2019, 2021 and much of this season. Perhaps this will be the last straw that will lead to another surgery (he tore ligaments in the right wrist in 2021). Max Kepler, Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach are all banged up as well, so the likes of Nick Gordon, Jake Cave, Kyle Garlick and Mark Contreras will be asked to pick up the slack.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Remains on bench
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Kirilloff (wrist) isn't starting Monday against the Tigers.
Kirilloff was removed from Saturday's matchup against San Diego due to right wrist soreness, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game. Kyle Garlick will take over in left field and bat fifth.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Won't start Sunday
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Kirilloff (wrist) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.
After exiting Saturday's 7-4 win with right wrist soreness, Kirilloff will need at least one day off to heal up. Considering that Kirilloff underwent surgery on that same wrist last season and spent nearly three weeks on the injured list earlier in the season due to inflammation of the wrist, it's somewhat troubling that he's hampered by it again. For now, consider Kirilloff day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener with the Tigers.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Exits with wrist injury
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Kirilloff exited Saturday's game with right wrist soreness Saturday against the Padres, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Kirilloff exited the game in the seventh inning, with Mark Contreras taking his place in right field. There are no details about the severity of the injury, though Kirilloff has a history of wrist injuries -- he was forced to the injured list with inflammation in the same wrist earlier this season -- which makes this news more concerning.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Hitting streak ends
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Kirilloff went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Brewers.
The empty showing at the plate ended a nine-game hitting streak for Kirilloff, who produced a .344/.417/.375 slash line during that stretch. Kirilloff should be a solid source of batting average while he continues to hold down an everyday role in the corner outfield, but he hasn't yet tapped into the power that some might have expected from him based on what he did at Triple-A St. Paul earlier this season (.641 slugging percentage). With Max Kepler (toe) on the bench for the second day in a row in Wednesday's series finale with Milwaukee, Kirilloff will slide over from left field to start in right while serving as the Twins' No. 6 hitter, according to Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Takes seat Saturday
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Kirilloff isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Rangers.
Kirilloff has started against just two left-handed pitchers this year, and he'll take a seat with southpaw Martin Perez on the mound Saturday. Nick Gordon is taking over in left field and batting ninth.
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Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Serving as designated hitter
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Kirilloff (undisclosed) will bat sixth and serve as the designated hitter Friday against the Rangers, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Kirilloff left Wednesday's game against the White Sox after colliding with Andrew Vaughn at first base, though he was said to be fine after the game. He's officially good to go following Thursday's scheduled off day, though the fact that he'll be the designated hitter may suggest that he's not quite 100 percent.
