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Alex Kirilloff

Injury Notes: Scherzer, Kirilloff, Moreno

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Rangers ace Max Scherzer was thought to be done for the season as recently as last month due to a teres major strain, but the veteran righty has spent the postseason to this point rehabbing the injury with the hope of returning in time to impact the pennant chase in Texas. With the Rangers now poised to face the Astros in the ALCS starting this weekend, Scherzer’s rehab appears to be in the best place its been to this point. In conversation with reporters, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that Scherzer’s 60-pitch simulated game yesterday left him feeling “real encouraged” regarding the future Hall of Famer’s health entering the upcoming series. Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today adds that Bochy indicated Scherzer would be a starting pitcher for the club if he is well enough to make the roster.

The news is surely encouraging for fans in Arlington. In winning five straight games to advance to the ALCS, the club’s starting and multi-inning options in Jordan Montgomery, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning, and Cody Bradford have pitched exceptionally well, with a combined 2.05 ERA in 44 innings of work. A healthy Scherzer would allow Texas more flexibility regarding the usage of Heaney, Dunning, and Bradford with Montgomery and Eovaldi joining the team ace as the club’s three main starters for the series. Scherzer sports a 3.77 ERA in 152 1/3 innings of work this season, though that figure drops to a more impressive 3.20 (140 ERA+) since joining the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline.

More injury news from around the league…

  • Alex Kirilloff was replaced by Byron Buxton on the ALDS roster for the Twins yesterday due to a shoulder injury, and The Athletic’s Dan Hayes adds that Kirilloff spoke to reporters following last night’s game regarding the issue. Kirilloff revealed that surgery is on the table regarding his shoulder as he’s dealt with issues regarding it dating back to June. Fortunately, Hayes notes that the injury is in Kirilloff’s non-throwing shoulder and the 25-year-old isn’t concerned about a potential procedure’s rehab process. Kirilloff appeared in 88 games for the Twins this year while battling through wrist and shoulder issues, slashing .270/.348/.445 in 319 trips to the plate. Kirilloff figures to enter Spring Training in the mix for regular starts, with experience both at first base and in the corner outfield spots.
  • The Diamondbacks removed catcher Gabriel Moreno from yesterday’s win over the Dodgers due to a hand contusion, sparking concern about the health of the club’s young catcher for the second time this postseason. He had previously been struck in the head by a backswing during the club’s Wild Card series against the Brewers. Fortunately, the club provided an update on Moreno this afternoon via Twitter. Arizona quoted Moreno as saying he “should be available for the rest of the playoffs” after tests on his hand came back negative. Moreno’s had an impressive postseason with a .250/.294/.813 slash line and three home runs in 17 trips to the plate. It’s an excellent capstone to a solid rookie season that saw the 23-year-old slash .284/.339/.408 in 111 games as the primary catcher for the DBacks.

Byron Buxton Replaces Alex Kirilloff On Twins’ ALDS Roster

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Major League Baseball announced that Byron Buxton has been approved as a substitute for Alex Kirilloff on the Twins’ roster before this evening’s Game 4 against the Astros. Kirilloff was removed from yesterday’s game with a shoulder injury, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic).

Buxton landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain in early August, and recurring knee trouble has kept him on the shelf ever since. He began a rehab assignment in late September, and following the conclusion of the minor league season, he continued to train with the Twins in hopes of making his return. Ultimately, the star center fielder was left off the ALDS roster, as he had not yet progressed to running the bases by the start of the series.

Balldelli explained that Buxton still isn’t back to full strength, but he is healthy enough to help the team in “smaller spurts” (as relayed by Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune). If nothing else, he should be available to pinch hit, so the Twins must feel the 29-year-old is ready to run the bases if need be. A former Gold and Platinum Glove winner, Buxton has been preparing to return to the outfield after spending the 2023 season as a designated hitter. However, if he isn’t 100% healthy, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be playing the field against the Astros.

Kirilloff missed approximately six weeks in the summer dealing with a shoulder strain but seemed healthy upon his return, slashing .273/.311/.455 with a 107 wRC+ over his final 18 games. Unfortunately, Baldelli says the shoulder strain has come back, and it has been affecting the first baseman’s swing. He has gone 0-for-9 with two walks thus far in the playoffs. It reached a point on Tuesday when the lefty could no longer swing at all, and he was replaced with a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.

Should his shoulder trouble subside, Kirilloff will be eligible to return for the World Series, presuming the Twins advance that far. Donovan Solano, who replaced him at first base last night, will get the start in Game 4 this evening, and Baldelli says he’ll be the primary first baseman going forward. Edouard Julien, who is in tonight’s lineup as the designated hitter, could also play first, potentially freeing up the DH spot for Buxton. Utility man Kyle Farmer can also play first base.

When healthy, Kirilloff was an important bat for the Twins this season, hitting 11 home runs in 88 games and posting career highs in all three triple-slash categories. However, due to his shoulder problems, he’s been a bit of a black hole in the lineup during the playoffs. Solano has been a dependable contact hitter for years, and he posted a career-best .369 on-base percentage this season in his first campaign with Minnesota. It should help to have his bat in the lineup as the Twins face elimination throughout the rest of the ALDS. Buxton is more of a wild card – it’s hard to know what to expect from the former All-Star after so much time off – but at his best, he’s a major power threat and a valuable asset on the bases.

Twins Notes: Kirilloff, Gallo, Buxton, Taylor, Stewart

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The Twins activated Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list Friday, and the first baseman marked his return by going 1-for-4 in Minnesota’s 5-2 victory over the Mets.  In the corresponding move, the Twins placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day IL due to a left foot contusion, with Gallo’s placement retroactive to September 6.

Kirilloff was playing in his first MLB game since July 29, as a right shoulder strain forced the former top prospect to the sidelines.  Since recovery from wrist surgery already delayed Kirilloff’s season debut until May 6, he has played in only 70 games this season, though Kirilloff has hit a solid .270/.355/.439 over 262 plate appearances.  A hefty .353 BABIP has certainly aided that production, but it still represents a very nice step forward for Kirilloff after wrist problems hampered his first two seasons in the majors.

Now back on the active roster, Kirilloff figures to resume his role as Minnesota’s primary first baseman, with Donovan Solano stepping in to spell Kirilloff against left-handed pitching.  Gallo was also a significant part of the first base mix, but he’ll now miss some time after fouling a ball off his foot, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).

Signed to a one-year, $11MM free agent contract last winter, Gallo has to some extent rebounded from his rough 2022 season, as his .177/.301/.440 slash line and 21 homers in 332 PA does translate to an above-average 103 wRC+.  However, most of Gallo’s production came in April, and he has been in a pronounced slump for the rest of the season.  Gallo’s ability to play first base and all three outfield positions has made him a useful asset for a Minnesota team that has been hit with multiple injuries over the course of 2023, but it remains to be seen if Gallo will be part of a postseason roster, should the Twins hold on to win the AL Central.

Byron Buxton’s status is also an x-factor at this point, as the former All-Star hasn’t played since appearing in a minor league rehab game on September 1.  Buxton was playing in his first game as an outfielder in over a year, as recurring knee problems resulted in arthroscopic surgery late in the 2022 season, and the Twins’ decision to use Buxton exclusively as a designated hitter this season.  With Buxton currently on the IL due to a hamstring injury, the Twins were trying to ease Buxton back into fielding duty, only to be set back by this latest case of patella tendinitis.

Baldelli didn’t have any new update on when Buxton might be able to play again, at either the minor league or MLB levels.  There’s something of a holding pattern situation until Buxton is healthy, but as Baldelli noted, “that doesn’t mean he’s not going to play for us.  We’re anticipating him working his way back and taking the field for us.”

In other Twins injury news, Michael A. Taylor and Nick Gordon each took part in a live batting practice session against Brock Stewart, as all three players continue to make some progress in their rehab work.  Gordon still isn’t expected back until closer to the end of the regular season, but Taylor might be back in relatively short order, after being placed on the IL last Sunday due to a right hamstring strain.

In addition to the live BP session, Taylor also said he did some baserunning work on Friday.  Taylor has hit a career-high 20 homers and has been one of baseball’s best defensive center fielders, putting him in line for his second career Gold Glove and giving Minnesota some much-needed relief up the middle with Buxton relegated to DH work.

Stewart last pitched in the majors in 2019 before resurfacing with the Twins this year, and he returned in grand fashion by posting an 0.70 ERA over 25 2/3 relief innings.  Unfortunately, Stewart’s season was cut short by elbow soreness in late June, which has now led to a lengthy stint on the 60-day injured list.  Stewart is likely to need some minor league rehab work given the longer layoff, but he should be able to get back before the regular season is over.

Twins Notes: Paddack, Lewis, Kirilloff, Jeffers

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Twins right-hander Chris Paddack is making progress in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, per The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Hayes relays that, according to Twins training staff, Paddack is around ten days away from facing live hitters for the first time since he went under the knife last May.

Initially, Paddack was hoping to return to the big league mound this month, though given the time he’ll need to spend building up stamina after graduating to facing live hitters, it’s hardly a surprise that timeline was more recently pushed back to sometime in September, with the distinct possibility that return will have to come out of the bullpen rather than as a member of the rotation. While sixteen months away from the majors following Tommy John surgery is a certainly a longer rehab process than has become the norm in recent years, it’s worth remembering that this is Paddack’s second surgery, as he also went under the knife as a prospect back in 2016.

Regardless of if Paddack ultimately makes it back to pitch for the Twins this year, the 27-year-old hurler figures to be a key piece of Minnesota’s pitching staff in the long term. The Twins agreed to a three-year deal with Paddack this past offseason that guaranteed him $12.5MM while buying out what otherwise would have been the first year of his free agency. With Paddack locked up through the end of the 2025 season and current rotation pieces Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda both slated for free agency this coming offseason, Paddack figures to join Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Pablo Lopez as part of Minnesota’s rotation of the future.

For his career, Paddack has been a roughly league average starter with a 4.20 ERA (97 ERA+) and a 3.94 FIP in 330 1/3 innings of work. Those career numbers are somewhat hampered by Paddack’s struggles in a pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and an injury-shortened 2021 season; the Twins are surely hoping that, once fully healthy, Paddack can return to the form he displayed in 2019 when he posted a 3.33 ERA in 140 2/3 innings of work.

Also taking positive steps in his attempt to return from injury is infielder Royce Lewis, who has missed the past month with an oblique strain after starting the season on the injured list while recovering from knee surgery. Per Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune, Lewis took batting practice on the field yesterday as he continues to ramp up his rehab process. Nightengale indicates that Lewis could rejoin the Twins’ lineup as soon as this month, though he cautions that Lewis’s return is still a matter of weeks away rather than days.

Lewis’s return would surely provide a major boost to a Twins lineup that has suffered a variety of injuries throughout the season, with Byron Buxton, Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon, and Jose Miranda all currently joining Lewis on the shelf. In 26 games this season, the talented youngster has slashed .326/.354/.474 that’s good for a 131 wRC+. That figure would represent a massive upgrade over the club’s current production at the hot corner, as Twins third basemen have combined for a wRC+ of just 90 this season with a 0.7 fWAR that ranks bottom ten in the majors.

While Minnesota’s lineup has received encouraging news on Lewis, the same cannot be said regarding first baseman Alex Kirilloff, who went on the injured list with a shoulder strain at the end of July. Per MLB.com, Kirilloff, who previously underwent an MRI and received a cortisone injection in his ailing shoulder, “was still in the resting and strengthening phase of his recovery” yesterday, with no clear timetable for return. The 25 year old was enjoying something of a breakout season at the plate prior to his injury, locking down first base for the Twins with a slash line of .270/.357/.442 (124 wRC+) in 258 trips to the plate this season.

With Kirilloff on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Twins have needed to look elsewhere in the lineup for offensive production. Fortunately for the club, they’ve found it in the bat of 26-year-old catcher Ryan Jeffers. While he’s played just 63 games this season thanks to sharing time behind the dish with offseason acquisition Christian Vazquez, Jeffers has slashed a phenomenal .292/.392/.503 (152 wRC+) in 203 trips to the plate this season. That production has seemingly earned Jeffers additional playing time, as The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman relays that manager Rocco Baldelli has indicated Jeffers will receive starts at DH while Buxton is on the shelf in addition to his usual timeshare with Vazquez.

Twins Notes: Gray, Maeda, Keuchel, Larnach, Kirilloff, Thielbar

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A five-game losing streak has dropped the Twins’ record to 54-53, and their AL Central lead has shrunk to a half-game advantage over the Guardians.  Caught in an unusual position of both trying to win the division and perhaps reload the roster for a better shot at contending in 2024, the Twins appear to be flexible with their plans heading into the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reports that the club is at least listening to offers about starters Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda.  However, “they’d need to be blown away to make a deal that potentially harms their own postseason chances,” Hayes writes, since starting pitching has been such a key plank of the Twins’ success this year.

Reports from earlier this week suggested that Minnesota had at least considered moving Maeda, and that the Twins were getting interest in general about their rotation depth.  Since it would count as a major shock if any of Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, and Bailey Ober were traded, pending free agents Gray and Maeda seem like far more viable trade candidates, even if the odds of either moving don’t seem too high.

As Hayes notes, there’s no harm for Minnesota in testing the market for Gray or Maeda, just in case a team desperate for starting pitching is willing to overpay as other options are removed from the board as the deadline approaches.  Re-signing both Gray and Maeda this winter doesn’t seem likely whatsoever, and it seems quite possible that the Twins might let both veteran pitchers walk in free agency.  Ergo, exploring trade opportunities now is a logical tactic, especially if another team is willing to offer the right-handed hitting or bullpen help that the Twins are currently looking to obtain.

Dallas Keuchel has looked great for Triple-A Saint Paul since signing a minor league deal with the Twins back in June, as the former AL Cy Young Award winner has a 1.13 ERA over 32 innings.  Since Keuchel has an opt-out clause in his contract on August 1 (trade deadline day), some kind of decision is coming soon, and Keuchel could be the logical replacement if Minnesota did move Gray or Maeda.  In terms of Keuchel himself as a trade chip, Hayes writes that there is only “minimal interest” from other clubs, which isn’t surprising given how Keuchel’s MLB results have so badly tailed off in the last two seasons.  The southpaw has a 6.35 ERA over 222 2/3 Major League innings since the start of the 2021 campaign, and he has yet to see any big league action in 2023.

Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said earlier this week that the club’s left-handed hitting outfielders were drawing interest, and Hayes reports that Trevor Larnach in particular has been on the radar of the Mets and Padres.  Larnach is only a couple of years removed from being a top-100 prospect, though he has a modest .223/.315/.380 slash line over 669 career plate appearances.  This lack of performance and a season-ending core muscle surgery in 2022 have kept Larnach from really establishing himself in the majors, not to mention how the Twins’ outfield depth has led to Larnach spending a lot of extra time at Triple-A.

Since Larnach is only 26 and has a limited sample size of MLB experience, it makes sense why the Padres, Mets, and probably several other teams would want to bet on a post-hype breakout.  It’s worth noting that Larnach hadn’t hit very much in Triple-A prior to this season, and even his .234/.363/.431 slash line over 157 PA for Saint Paul in 2023 is only decent, rather than a clear sign that Larnach has nothing more to prove in the minors.

With the Mets already looking ahead to 2024, a hypothetical New York/Minnesota trade package could include a right-handed hitting outfielder like Tommy Pham or Mark Canha, or reliever Brooks Raley.  All would essentially be rental pickups, though Canha and Raley are controllable through club options for the 2024 season.  Raley has pitched well enough that his $6.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) looks like a good bet to be exercise by the Mets, Twins, or whatever team might own his rights after the deadline.

Of course, injuries can always change the equation for any team as the deadline approaches, and the Twins placed Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list today due to a right shoulder strain.  Caleb Thielbar was activated from the 15-day IL in the corresponding move, with the left-hander returning after missing close to two months with an oblique strain.  This came on the heels of a previous IL stint due to another oblique problem, resulting in Thielbar making only one big league appearance since May 6.

Kirilloff has been trying to play through the injury for several days, as manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) that Kirilloff was hurt diving for a ball.  Kirilloff is “just not able to swing the bat right now because he’s feeling some weakness in his shoulder,” Baldelli said, so the decision was made to put the first baseman on the IL for a full rest.

Wrist problems have plagued Kirilloff in the past, and his recovery from a wrist surgery last year delayed his 2023 debut until May 6.  Finally healthy and given an extended chance to play, Kirilloff looked to be having a bit of a breakout season, with a very solid 124 wRC+ to show from his .270/.357/.442 slash line over 258 plate appearances while mostly playing as Minnesota’s regular first baseman.  Donovan Solano and Joey Gallo are likely to be platooned at first base while Kirilloff is out, and if the Twins get any indication over the next two days that Kirilloff might be facing an extended absence, first base help might be added to the club’s deadline checklist.

Twins Select Dereck Rodríguez, Recall Alex Kirilloff

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The Twins announced a series of roster moves today, selecting right-hander Dereck Rodríguez and recalling infielder/outfielder Alex Kirilloff from Triple-A St. Paul. In corresponding moves, outfielder Trevor Larnach was optioned to Triple-A while left-hander Caleb Thielbar has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right oblique strain. To open a 40-man spot for Rodríguez, righty Tyler Mahle was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Rodríguez, 31 next month, arrived in the big leagues as a starter in 2018, posting a 2.81 ERA in 118 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, his ERA jumped to 5.64 the next year and he’s largely been in a depth/swingman role since then. He made just two appearances in the big leagues in 2020 and none in 2021. Last year, he was with the Twins on a minor league deal and was twice selected to the big league club, once in April and once in September. In each case, he made one multi-inning relief stint and was promptly designated for assignment.

He and the organization seem to have have a good relationship, as he re-signed on another minor league deal this past winter even after all of that roster shuffling. He has a 4.66 ERA in 19 1/3 Triple-A innings this year and will give the club a fresh arm. They used five relievers yesterday, not including Thielbar, in their 12-inning game against the White Sox.

As for Kirilloff, he’s a former first round draft pick and was one of the top prospects in baseball not too long ago. Persistent wrist problems have frequently put him out of action and also diminished his production, but he seems to be on a tear right now. He began the year on the injured list and was optioned after returning to health, but is hitting .300/.426/.580 through 14 minor league games. He’ll get a chance to see if he can bring any of that up to the majors, hopefully staying healthy in the process.

As for Mahle, it was reported on the weekend that he would be shut down for four weeks due to a posterior impingement and a flexor pronator strain in his throwing arm. Even if he’s healthy after that shutdown period, he would then have to ramp back up to a full starter’s workload. It would have been difficult for him to return within 60 days but this move now makes that officially off the table.

Twins Option Alex Kirilloff To Triple-A After Injured List Activation

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The Twins activated Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list, but he won’t be joining the big league roster for his 2023 debut.  Instead, Minnesota has optioned Kirilloff to Triple-A, where he will continue to play after already spending over a week in St. Paul as part of a minor league rehab assignment.

There was speculation last weekend that the Twins might take this route with Kirilloff, as the club’s hand was somewhat forced by the fact that Kirilloff was nearing the end of this allotted 20-day rehab period.  Kiriloff has played in 11 games (seven at Triple-A, four in A-ball) during his rehab assignment, and at least performance-wise, he appears to be in good form — the outfielder/first baseman is hitting .316/.447/.658 over 47 total appearances.  However, it was already known that Kirilloff didn’t have anything left to prove in the minors, given the strong numbers he has posted throughout his minor league career and his past status as one of baseball’s top prospects.

Kirilloff made his MLB debut in 2021, but his first two Major League seasons have come to an early end due to wrist surgeries.  Kirilloff’s most recent procedure took place last August, and was described by The Athletic’s Dan Hayes as a “drastic” and “complex” surgery meant to fully correct the lingering wrist issues.  As a result, the Twins took things slowly with Kirilloff in the offseason and throughout Spring Training as he recovered, and Kirilloff ended up not playing in any spring games.

With this in mind, the Twins likely want to see Kirilloff get at least a little closer to a Spring Training-esque workload before he makes his return to the majors.  After a string of injuries earlier in the season, Minnesota is also now getting pretty close to full roster strength on the position player side, so there might be more benefit to Kirilloff getting regular at-bats in St. Paul rather than playing in a part-time basis with the Twins.

Twins Notes: Maeda, Ober, Kirilloff, Buxton

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X-rays were negative on Kenta Maeda’s left ankle after the Twins starter was hit by Jarren Duran line drive on Thursday, though it isn’t yet clear if Maeda will still require a stint on the 15-day injured list.  The team is planning to push back Maeda’s next turn in the rotation, and reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) were told that more on Maeda’s condition will be known after he gets through a light throwing session today, and then a bullpen session on Monday.

Bailey Ober is being called up on Sunday for a spot start in Minnesota’s game with the Nationals, thus pushing back the rest of the Twins rotation and providing a bit more time for Maeda to recover.  If Maeda is able to pitch, he’d take the mound at some point during the Twins’ four-game series with the Royals from April 27-30.

Maeda missed all of the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, and the results have been somewhat mixed in his first three starts back in action.  Beyond the obvious negative of the ankle bruise, Maeda has been allowing a lot of hard contact, his 23.1% strikeout rate is barely above the league average, and his fastball velocity has dropped to 89.9 mph from his previous career average of 91.2mph (though velo has never been a big part of Maeda’s arsenal).  On the plus side, he has a 4.15 ERA over 13 innings, with an elite-level chase rate and walk rate — the right-hander has issued just one walk to date this season.

In other injury news, Alex Kirilloff has yet to play this season, as the former star prospect opened the season on the 10-day IL while still recovering from his season-ending wrist surgery last August.  Kirilloff is nearing the end of his 20-day minor league rehab assignment, but The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman reports that some team officials feel Kirilloff won’t immediately join the Twins’ big league roster once activated from the IL, as he instead could be optioned to Triple-A.

Kirilloff has played in only seven minor league games during his rehab assignment, and didn’t see any game action during Spring Training.  As a result, the Twins might feel he simply needs more time to fully ramp up to face MLB pitching, even though Kirilloff has been hitting very well during his limited minor league at-bats.  The returns of Jorge Polanco and Joey Gallo from the IL have helped bolster the Twins’ lineup, and in Gallo’s case specifically, he has been playing first base — ostensibly Kirilloff’s position when he eventually gets back to the Show.  Since Minnesota has no glaring need in the lineup and naturally the team wants to be cautious with Kirilloff given his history of wrist problems, it could mean a more extended stint at Triple-A.

Speaking of injury histories, Byron Buxton has thankfully remained off the injured list thus far in 2023, which could be in part due to the Twins’ deployment of the outfielder has a full-time DH.  Buxton has yet to play in the field this season, and manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) that he didn’t know when or necessarily even if Buxton would be back in the outfield.  “I am enjoying the fact that I get to write his name in the lineup virtually every day right now.  And at this point, I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that, because I think that’s the most important thing,” Baldelli said.

For his part, Buxton admitted that “I wouldn’t say comfortable” about the arrangement, saying that being a DH is “still a job that’s not normal for me.  It’s still something I’m figuring out.”  However, Buxton also said that “as long as I’m playing, that don’t faze me.”  Buxton has been solid if unspectacular at the plate thus far, hitting .243/.316/.443 with three homers over 79 plate appearances, translating to a 113 wRC+.

Twins Place Joey Gallo On Injured List

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The Twins placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 8, shortly before tonight’s matchup with the White Sox. The first baseman/outfielder is dealing with a right intercostal strain.

It doesn’t seem all that serious, as Gallo was participating in drills this evening. He told reporters he felt he was “in a good spot” physically tonight, though the club has evidently decided to proceed with caution (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). That’d seem to suggest there’s a good chance he won’t require much or any more time than the minimal week off.

Gallo signed a one-year free agent deal last offseason. The Twins were hoping he could bounceback from a tough year and a half split between the Dodgers and Rangers. The two-time All-Star opened his Minnesota tenure with a fantastic week. Gallo has five hits (including three home runs) and a pair of walks over his first 20 plate appearances as a Twin.

A Gold Glove caliber outfielder, Gallo has primarily played first base with Minnesota. That’s because Alex Kirilloff opened the year on the injured list as he rehabs from last year’s season-ending wrist procedure. It seems both Kirilloff and second baseman Jorge Polanco are closing in on their season debuts, however. They’re each on rehab assignments with Low-A Fort Myers and should return to the majors within the next week or two.

Minnesota is playing tonight’s game a man down. They didn’t make a corresponding roster move today, although it’s possible they turn to one of their top prospects tomorrow. Aaron Gleeman of the Athletic notes that Edouard Julien was yanked from tonight’s game for Triple-A St. Paul shortly after Gallo’s IL placement was announced. Julien, ranked by Baseball America as the sport’s #97 overall prospect, was added to Minnesota’s 40-man roster last offseason. The Auburn product hit .300/.441/.490 in Double-A last season and is off to a .276/.417/.517 start in eight games in St. Paul.

Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff To Start Season On Injured List

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The Twins will open the season with second baseman Jorge Polanco and corner outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list, tweets Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Recent reports had suggested that was under consideration for both players, neither of whom has gotten into a Spring Training game.

Both players finished the 2022 campaign on the shelf. Polanco was hampered by a left knee issue that cost him the season’s final month. The organization doesn’t seem overly concerned — president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said a couple weeks ago that Polanco might be ready for Opening Day — but symptoms have lingered into exhibition play and kept him from ramping up as expected. He’ll at least require a week and a half into the regular season to be ready for meaningful game action.

Kirilloff’s injury might be more worrisome considering his history. The 25-year-old has battled problems with his right wrist for the past couple seasons. His 2021 campaign was cut short when he underwent surgery to repair a ligament tear. That didn’t put the issue to bed, as he felt continued discomfort and required a second surgery last August. That ended his season prematurely again and Falvey suggested earlier this month that Kirilloff has been behind schedule as he builds back.

Minnesota has a fair amount of position player depth types who could step into larger roles early in the season. Utility player Nick Gordon has plenty of second base experience. He suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the spring but has since played five games after a two-week absence. He seems on track to be on the Opening Day roster. The Twins also signed veteran infielder Donovan Solano to factor in at first and second base and have veteran Kyle Farmer as a multi-positional option off the bench.

Kirilloff had been the favorite for the season-opening first base job. That could now fall to Solano and Joey Gallo, who could step in from his expected corner outfield role. That would likely open a roster spot for left fielder Trevor Larnach, particularly since the Twins are planning to play Michael A. Taylor regularly in center field to keep Byron Buxton at designated hitter early on.

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