The Minnesota Twins announced that Alex Kirilloff will be optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. Austin Martin was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul Thursday, per Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Martin, 25, was the fifth pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was eventually part of the package in the José Berríos trade in July 2021. Martin will return for his third stint in the majors, he’s hitting just .224/.289/.355 across 30 games this season with the Twins. However, he’s been one of the hotter hitters in St. Paul over the last few weeks, providing a .449 OBP with two extra-base hits and eight RBI.
Twins announce Alex Kirilloff was demoted to AAA. Austin Martin was called up.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) June 13, 2024
Twins Option Alex Kirilloff
Kirilloff, 26, was an ideal piece of the future for the Twins. He was the 15th pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, and eventually became one of the top prospects in the system. Kirilloff made his debut in 202 but injuries have stalled him from cementing himself at the major league level. He underwent surgery twice on his right hand in July of 2021 then again in August of 2022. At the end of the 2024 season, it was his right shoulder that required surgery.
Kirilloff will have to get back on track after going 2-for-21 with nine strikeouts since the beginning of June. That brought his season slash line down to .201/.270/.384 through 178 plate appearances. He’s also striking out 26.4 percent of the time, a career-high that surpasses last season’s 25.1 percent strikeout rate. Kirilloff now joins Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner in Triple-A after the trio of young hitters struggled at the plate. Since May 3, Kiriloff was hitting .135 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 82 plate appearances with 26 strikeouts.
The Twins Need Kirilloff to Work on His Game
Minnesota put Kirilloff into left field more often after Wallner was sent to the minor leagues. It also didn’t help that both José Miranda and Carlos Santana were sharing time at first base. After the Twins roster move, it leaves them with Max Kepler and Trevor Larnach as the only two left-handed hitters on the active roster, along with two switch hitters, Santana and Willi Castro.
With Kirilloff’s profound struggles and the Twins’ need for more production on offense, he should work on things in St. Paul.
Main Photo: © Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports
