KANSAS CITY, MO. – Alex Kirilloff returned optimistic from a visit with his wrist surgeon.
The left fielder/first baseman departed for Ohio on the injured list while the team went to play Boston. Kirilloff ended last season early to have a torn ligament in his right wrist surgically repaired, but he never was fully pain-free after the operation. The 24-year-old played in five games this season, with only one hit in 17 at-bats, before deciding he needed to have his wrist checked again.
The doctor didn't find any more structural damage, and Kirilloff had a cortisone injection to help him with the pain. He did the same last year prior to the surgery in hopes he could make it through the season, but the shot eventually wore off and made the surgery a more attractive option.
Kirilloff said the day he had the injection, his wrist hurt a lot, but that began to ease through the next couple days. And while he still doesn't know for sure why his wrist is still bothering him, he has started the return process.
Since being in Kansas City, he's done some defensive drills and throwing. He's had no limitations in the gym, so has made the most of those workouts as well as general rehab and strengthening maintenance off the field. He started swinging again Thursday in the cage during the game.
Kirilloff will likely head off to a rehab assignment at Class AAA St. Paul early next week before returning to the Twins by the end of that week.
"There's a fine line between having an injury and being able to either play effectively with that injury or not, and then playing not 100 percent," Kirilloff said. "Of course, 162 games, there's going to be a lot of games where you're not 100 percent, and you're playing, and that's expected.
"… All I can do is make the best of what I have right now, the wrist I have. So I personally think I can still be effective with my wrist the way it is now. It's just about managing the pain."
