MINNEAPOLIS. Considering how bad the past few years have been in terms of injuries for the Twins, manager Rocco Baldelli and his team have faced some very unusual situations this season as they try to figure out how to fit so many healthy players into the squad. 'alignment. . crew. list.
Strange, isn't it? Baldelli had to remind himself not to offend him during one of those conversations.
"I'll wait until the end of the season to talk about it," Baldelli said with a smile.
Such a solution is now on the horizon. Alex Kirilloff was nearing the finish line of his rehab stint, returning to Triple-A St. Louis. Louis for the second straight game on Friday. He reached his last big moment when Paul pitched nine full innings.
But is Kirilloff's wrist in good shape for all of Major League Baseball's workload? And just as important, where will he play?
Regarding an earlier question, manager Nick Paparesta said he was confident Kirilloff's wrist was fine ahead of the Twins' 8-6 win over the Royals on Friday.
"I think we did our part," Paparest said. "He got the hits he needed. He played first base. Played out. ... I think he showed he could handle the ball again.
"It was more important for us to see what he could do naturally."
Coming on Friday, Kirilloff had three homers, a brace and a stolen base with 1,326 runs in six games for the Saints. It's a feat he's accomplished in each of his last three seasons with St. Louis. It's a shock when he hangs out with Paul and it's clear there isn't much left of the old no. 2 of the club at this level.
This double hit 101.9 mph in deep left field. One of these houses was an explosion 383 meters from the center. For southpaw Kirilloff, those side shots were always a sign that he was feeling healthy and hitting the ball with full force, unlike the spinning ball that has become common when playing with problems. wrist.
"When he's feeling good and he can hit the ball well, this guy is literally capable of anything," Baldelli said.
Kirilloff began rehab on April 11, and with position players limited to 20 days, the Twins have until early May to make a decision. Previously, there were indications that the club would simply send Kirilloff to St. Paula and let him move smoothly on the wrist.
But a Minnesota offense doesn't always set the world on fire, and this version of Kirilloff can help.
And where would he play?
Kirilloff offers a left-handed bat that can play both first base and corner, but matches the Twins' current use of Joey Gallo, the team's best hitter.
Minnesota is also rich in left-handed pitchers, with Max Kepler hitting .333 (11 for 33) on six extra hits in his last 10 games, and RBI and Trevor Larnach leading the team. Most of the season he plays against right-backs.
"In no way will I just talk about shrinking teams or clubs," Baldelli said. "Everything always works out, one way or another."
Maybe there's a version of this where the Twins found a way to work with him and Willy Castro, like playing Gallo at center and Kirilloff at first base against right-handed relievers with Michael A. Taylor coming off the bench .
If Byron Buxton hadn't been named as a hitter, it would have created opportunities for Gallo, Kepler, Larnach and Kirilloff in the same lineup, but that's not the reality for the Twins right now.
The easiest solution might be to let Kirilloff prove the wrist can stay in Triple-A until an injury presents an opportunity. For a side that have beaten Jermain Palacios, Mark Contreras and Billy Hamilton in previous seasons, that seems like a much better deal.
"Now I don't worry about this problem anymore," Baldelli said. "AK is always trying to come back. He swings the bat well. But those guys are playing great which is good for our team. We will definitely find a way to make it work.