Twins' Alex Kirilloff announces retirement at 26, citing 'toll' of injuries

Alex Kirilloff of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after hitting a home run on May 25. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) (Brace Hemmelgarn via Getty Images)

Alex Kirilloff has announced his retirement after four seasons with the Minnesota Twins.

The 26-year-old Kirilloff hit .248 with 27 home runs and 116 RBI in 249 games with the Twins.

Injuries greatly affected the career of the No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Kirilloff missed the entire 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and once he reached the Majors, he never played more than 88 games in a season , a reason he mentioned in his retirement announcement.

“In my nine professional seasons I have encountered numerous injuries, which led me to look for new ways to overcome the pain,” Kirilloff wrote on Instagram. “These challenges have taken their toll mentally and physically; over time I have realized that my passion for playing the game has changed. Baseball requires an ‘all-in’ approach, something I have every season I can no longer give it the total effort it requires. I have always believed that playing this game requires 110% effort, and anything less would not do justice to my teammates, coaches, fans or the game itself. .

A highly touted prospect from Pennsylvania, Kirilloff was on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He made his MLB debut in 2021 with eight home runs and a .722 OPS in 59 games with the Twins , but his rookie season ended prematurely when he required surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

That same wrist would lead to his second MLB season being cut short due to another surgery after 45 games.

Kirilloff’s best season would come in 2023, when he played 88 games and hit .288 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI. A shoulder injury caused him to miss a month of action and later that year he had to undergo a bursectomy on the same shoulder.

Kirilloff started the 2024 season with the Twins, but he was placed on the injured list in June with an issue. He was scheduled to return in August, but a rehabilitation assignment was halted after one game and he did not play again for the rest of the season.