Alex Kiriloff said Friday that he is in a transition period, learning to swing – well, not quite clear – after having surgery last July intended to repair his right wrist.
On Saturday, the Twins substituted an outfielder/first baseman for Triple-A St. Paul so he can play every day and the team feels he needs to adjust to his position.
“He wasn’t going to play every day. He probably would have been in some kind of rotation,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “But I don’t think the best thing for him is to be in the rotation right now.”
Kirilloff was given the option to replace left-hander Devin Smeltzer on the active roster, which was due to start against Cleveland on Saturday night.
It’s hard to articulate exactly what’s bothering the Twins’ first-round pick Kiriloff in the 2016 amateur draft, though he knows it happens – or at least causes – the ulnar in his right hand. Rubbing against a bone against a bone of his wrist. Last July, she had season-ending surgery to fix the problem, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, despite the twins’ emphasis on being healthy.
Kirilloff was given a cortisone shot on 14 April and placed on a 10-day injured list before playing a short rehab assignment at St. Activating on May 7, he hit .333 for the Twins, but is still looking for his first extra-base hit.
“Clinically, he’s completely clear — from the doctor’s side, the specialist he’ll go to see, our medical team, and also from his point of view,” Baldelli said. “And he’s figuring out, I guess, his new reality after coming back from the process and everything, just how everything is going to feel, and it probably feels a little different now.”
Asked on Friday whether this meant syncing with the reality of wrist pain or discomfort, Kirilloff said, “I expect it’s not going to happen, but since (surgery), a lot of swings. where I feel it.
“It’s one of those things where I think people have played with this before. Obviously, I had finished the process, so I’m hopeful that the discomfort and adjustment with that desire, one, I’ll be able to handle it and second, it’ll kind of subside. ,
SANO. for 60-days
To make it to the 40-man roster for Smeltzer, the Twins placed Miguel Sano on a 60-day injured list. The first baseman injured his knee after his walk-off single against the Detroit Tigers on April 26, and had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on May 5.
“His timeline, even originally I think, was going to be close to that — especially the back (part),” Baldelli said. “When he is completely healthy, he will also need batting (rehab).”
With Sano on IL and Kirilloff in St. Paul, the Twins would mostly rotate Luis Aires and rookie Jose Miranda, Baldelli said, adding that veteran catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Ursella could play first in a pinch.
“We don’t have the most experienced bunch to play at first base, but it happens,” the manager said.
more than a feeling
Smeltzer became the 41st player to enter a game with the Twins this season, and many of those players have found themselves major league teammates along with former teammates in Minnesota’s minor league system.
Seven players have made their major league debuts this season, including former first overall draft pick Royce Lewis, who hit a Grand Slam for his first major league home run in a 12-8 win over Cleveland on Friday.
Few other rookies could feel it when the shortstop stepped into the box with two outs and the bases were loaded in the fifth inning.
“We were saying, ‘You know, he’s going to hit a home run right here, man,'” said outfielder Mark Contreras, who started the season in St. Paul with Lewis and Miranda. “It just felt like, ‘He’s going to do it right here,’ between us. And for him to do that, it’s really special. That’s just the beginning for him. He’s going to play this game for a long time.”
Miranda made his debut against the Houston Astros last Thursday and hit a sacrificial fly in his first at-bat, driving in former minor league teammate Gilberto Celestino.
brief
right handed batsman Bailey Ober, IL was scheduled to pitch for the Saints on Saturday in Columbus, with a groin strain since April 30. If it goes well, the twins expect them to return during a road trip through Oakland and Kansas City. … center fielder byron buxton, Saturday was given a day off to manage knee and hip issues. , David West, achieved with Rick Aguilera And kevin tapani 1989 trade that sent frank viola As for the Mets, he died on Saturday after battling brain cancer. He pitched in the World Series for the Twins (1991) and Phillies (1993).
