The thought of retirement first crossed Alex Kirilloff’s mind when he was preparing for invasive wrist surgery in 2022. The procedure required screws, plates, and the shortening of the ulna by first breaking it.

Of course, there were some questions in the midst of the sea of ​​unknowns.

“I was hopeful and very confident that it would work, but at the same time… in the back of my mind I was thinking: ‘Well, what’s Plan B if it doesn’t work? What does my life look like without baseball? What would I like to do?” said Kirilloff.

A few years later, after more injuries took him away from the field and the game he loved, he finally concluded that retirement would be the best option for him and his family. Kirilloff’s surprising decision, announced on social media on Thursday morning, followed his last defeat – a serious back injury – that ended his season in June.

The injuries took a toll on him mentally and physically, leading him to realize his “passion for playing had changed,” he wrote on social media.

“Baseball requires an ‘all-in’ approach, something I bring to it every season,” he wrote. “But I can no longer give him the total commitment he needs. “I have always believed that playing this game requires 110% effort and anything less than that would not be fair to my teammates, coaches, fans or the game itself.”

Kirilloff, 26, has been with the Twins organization since 2016, when he was selected 15th overall in the first round. He was among the team’s top prospects and, after his debut, was expected to be a key part of the Twins’ core for years to come.

But his entire major league career has been plagued by injuries, starting with a wrist injury in 2021. Kirilloff had two season-ending surgeries, the first in 2021 and then a larger procedure a year later.

The first baseman/outfielder required shoulder surgery following the 2023 season, and his most recent season ended early due to his back. He said the injury to his back was called spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. It is a lower back injury defined as a chronic stress fracture and slipping of the vertebrae in the L4/L5 region.

Kirilloff said he has now seen three doctors and is confident the last one can heal the spine, but it will likely take six months to a year to do so.

“Baseball has been my life up to this point; I travel, play every year,” Kirilloff said. “Taking the next step and the next chapter is uncharted territory for me. This is a leap of faith for me. It’s something that I feel is the right time right now and can allow my body to reset without the demands of baseball.

Kirilloff has never played more than 88 games in a year in his major league career (he made his debut in the 2020 playoffs and then played four seasons with the Twins). He finished his career as a .248 hitter with a .721 OPS and 27 home runs and 116 RBI in 249 games.

Kirilloff, who will turn 27 on November 9, will now turn his attention to determining his next steps after spending his entire life working towards his major league dreams.

Kirilloff and his wife, Jordan, have two young daughters, Penelope and Priscilla, and his retirement will allow him to spend more time with his family while he heals his back and figures out what’s next in his life.

“If you had told me a few years ago that we would be having this conversation, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Kirilloff said. “But we are here now. There are definitely things I will miss about baseball and the game, but ultimately there is so much more that goes into such a decision at this point. “I’m definitely at peace about it.”