Minnesota Twins hope surgery will fix Alex Kirilloff

There was a time when Alex Kirilloff was considered one of the top prospects in baseball. A consensus top 100 prospect from 2019 through 2021 for the Minnesota Twins, he was rated as highly as ninth overall by MLB.com. The sky seemed to be the limit for him.

However, ongoing wrist issues have kept Kirilloff from reaching that potential. A sprained wrist and a torn ligament ruined his 2021 campaign. This year, Kirilloff has battled wrist inflammation and a contusion, both of which also landed him on the Injured List.

Wrist surgery could be answer for Alex Kirilloff and Minnesota Twins

The Twins, however, are not just going to wait for him to heal. According to Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, Kirilloff will have ulnar shortening surgery in an attempt to address those ongoing wrist issues. Park further mentioned that this was something that this surgery had been under consideration back in May as well.

For their part, the Twins are hoping that this surgery will get Kirilloff on track for his major league career. He has posted a disappointing .251/.295/.398 batting line in his 387 major league plate appearances, hitting 11 homers and 18 doubles. That is not terrible, but it is also not what the Twins had expected from such a highly touted prospect.

Maybe this procedure will make the difference. Perhaps, once Kirilloff’s wrist issues are under control, he will be able to become the player that he was expected to be. The Twins are still counting on Kirilloff to be a major part of their future, especially given his former top prospect status and the fact that he will be just 25 years old to start the 2023 season. There is still plenty of time for him to live up to expectations if he can stay healthy. This procedure is a part of that process.

Alex Kirilloff is set to undergo season ending wrist surgery. The Minnesota Twins are hoping that will allow him to reach his potential.