Alex Kirilloff retires from baseball at 26 after an injury-ravaged career with the Twins

By DAVE CAMPBELL The Associated Press
FILE - Minnesota Twins' Alex Kirilloff (19) is congratulated after his solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning of a baseball game, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim, file)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Bailey Hillesheim]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff announced his retirement on Thursday at age 26, after a series of injuries kept the 2016 first-round draft pick from fulfilling his potential.

Kirilloff was limited to 57 games this season because of a lower back injury, batting .201 with five home runs, 20 RBIs and a .653 OPS. He last played on June 11.

After being sent down to Triple-A St. Paul, Kirilloff reported further soreness in his lower back along with nerve-related pain in his leg. He told the team he understated the severity of his injury because he wanted to keep playing, but he wasn’t able to get well enough to return after that.

Kirilloff said in a video conference call with reporters that he was diagnosed with a chronic stress fracture and a slipping vertebrae that could take up to a year to fully rehabilitate.

“It just comes to the point where you have to ask yourself, ‘Should I be playing, and how does it affect my quality of life down the road?’” Kirilloff said.

Kirilloff hit .270 with 11 homers in 88 games in 2023, his best of four major league seasons. He mostly played first base last year, but the majority of his career was spent as a corner outfielder or a designated hitter.

Kirilloff won Minnesota’s Minor League Player of the Year award in 2018. After making his major league debut in the 2020 playoffs with the Twins, Kirilloff was beset by wrist and shoulder injuries that he finally appeared to be past in 2024 before the back trouble flared up. In 249 career games, he batted .248 with 27 homers, 116 RBIs and a .721 OPS.

The native of Pennsylvania said he’d been mulling his future for a while and finally came to peace with the decision in the last few weeks.

“These challenges have taken a toll on me mentally and physically. Over time, I’ve realized that my passion for playing the game has shifted. Baseball demands an ‘all-in’ approach, something I’ve brought to every season,” Kirilloff said in a social media post. “However, I can no longer give it the total commitment it requires. I’ve 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.”

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