Twins’ Alex Kirilloff on IL; acknowledges he misled team MINNEAPOLIS about injury Six days after being demoted to Triple-A due to struggles, outfielder Alex Kirilloff of the Minnesota Twins will now be placed on the injured list due to back problems.
Remorseful that he had misrepresented the extent of his injury in order to continue playing, Kirilloff returned to Target Field on Tuesday to receive treatment.
On May 26, Kirilloff underwent an MRI; the results did not indicate that he would require a layoff. However, following his demotion, the 2016 first-round draft pick complained of more severe lower back pain and discomfort, as well as discomfort related to nerves running down his leg.
“It’s kind of hard to say something when you want to be out there every day, but at the same time, things need to be communicated at a high level here, especially when we’re all trying to compete to win a championship,” Kirilloff stated. “So I just need to do a better job of communicating how I’m feeling and what’s going on with that process so that something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Kirilloff had not yet appeared in a game for St. Paul, so the Twins can go back and put him on the 10-day injured list instead of opting to option him.
In 57 games, mostly in left field, Kirilloff batted.201 with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, 20 RBIs, 15 walks, and 47 strikeouts. The arrival of veteran Carlos Santana, who entered Tuesday’s Minnesota game against Tampa Bay tied for the team lead in RBIs (36), and was second on the team in home runs (11). This season, Santana’s time at first base has been restricted.
Kirilloff is 10 for 74 at the plate since May 1. Kirilloff hit.270 with 11 home runs in 88 games the previous season.
The main issue, in my opinion, is that I was unable to get ready to swing as much as I had hoped. That played a significant role, Kirilloff added. “There was also, of course, occasionally some anxiety about completely releasing oneself and getting your ‘A’ swing in.”
He’s currently waiting to hear from a back specialist for a second opinion before determining when he can return.
“You want to remain on the field at all times and not leave it. In addition, you don’t want to be out there failing to perform your duties as required of you and causing more harm to others,” Kirilloff stated. “I’m still learning and trying to make the best decisions moving forward.”
Manager Rocco Baldelli did not provide further details regarding Kirilloff’s health when he informed Kirilloff last week that he would be sent down. Kirilloff claimed that the choice had taken him by surprise.
His thoughts were more on the baseball aspect of the conversation, which is where they tend to go. That’s what he’s thinking about because he plays baseball,” Baldelli remarked. “If the situation was getting worse and he was unable to play, there needs to be better communication about it, and he needs to be able to bring it up and say it.
“He had the chance to carry it out. We should be able to improve on that the next time. The main objective is to get him well and healthy because, when he is, he has the potential to be one of our best hitters as well as one of the best hitters in the league.”
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