PHOENIX -- Alex Kirilloff reported to Spring Training in March healthy and ready to reclaim a starting spot with the Twins while playing a mix of corner outfield and first base. That was the club’s plan for the 24-year-old, too.

Things don’t always go according to plan in baseball, though. For Kirilloff, that’s been the case. Inflammation in his right wrist -- which he underwent season-ending surgery on last July -- sent him to the injured list in mid-April, and he struggled during his limited time in the big leagues both before and after that stint, resulting in a return to the Minors.

Now, Kirilloff is back. After a torrid stretch with Triple-A St. Paul, he was called up by Minnesota ahead of Friday night’s 7-2 loss to Arizona in the series opener at Chase Field. And the former top prospect is ready for the opportunity back in the Majors -- one that could be permanent.

“I’m just excited to be here,” Kirilloff said. “We’ve got a really good team, and I’m just happy to be back with this group of guys.”

Kirilloff, the Twins’ No. 2 prospect in 2020, per MLB Pipeline, played 59 big league games prior to injuring his wrist in ‘21. He didn’t put up huge numbers -- a .251/.299/.423 slash line with eight homers, 11 doubles and 34 RBIs -- but he flashed his potential at times, enough that it seemed likely he’d have a larger role with Minnesota to begin ‘22.

Instead, Kirilloff went 1-for-17 with seven strikeouts over the first five games of the season. He then got a cortisone shot when his right wrist flared up. When he returned from that trip to the IL, he went 4-for-12 over five games in mid-May, but the Twins wanted him to get more consistent playing time, which would be easier to give him in Triple-A.

Plus, Kirilloff’s wrist wasn’t at 100 percent while waiting for the cortisone injection to help alleviate the discomfort. He needed regular at-bats to better learn how to play through that.

“A lot of times I think about my hands while I’m hitting and what I want to do with them,” Kirilloff said. “So when I’m trying to do that and there’s pain or discomfort involved -- that was kind of the toughest part for me, was to trust them while I was experiencing that.”

Think Kirilloff figured out how to thrive given the circumstances? Just look at his Triple-A stats over the past month and be the judge.

In 28 games with St. Paul from May 15-June 16, Kirilloff batted .385/.477/.725 with seven doubles, 10 homers and 31 RBIs. He really heated up in June, collecting multiple hits in seven of his 13 games and posting a .412/.508/.980 slash line over that stretch.

“We asked him to go and direct his energy toward getting at-bats and figuring out just how to attack different pitches and just go get at-bats and go play,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s a great young player. He did all that. The numbers that he put up were pretty noticeable. He feels good, and I think he’s going to be here and now he’s ready and he’s going to help us win games.”

The left-handed-hitting Kirilloff wasn’t in Friday’s starting lineup against D-backs southpaw Madison Bumgarner, and he struck out as a pinch-hitter to open the ninth inning. But there should be plenty of playing time coming his way in the near future.

The Twins placed starting second baseman Jorge Polanco on the injured list on Friday (with the move retroactive to Monday), meaning Luis Arraez will frequently be sliding over from first to fill in. Jose Miranda started at first base for the opener, but there’s a good chance Kirilloff will be there against right-handed pitchers.

Baldelli noted that Kirilloff could also get sporadic starts at the corner-outfield spots and at designated hitter. And Kirilloff is up for whatever gets him in the lineup, especially as he’s been raking while patiently waiting to get called back up.

“I can only control what I can control, and that’s going out and preparing to play a baseball game almost every day during the season,” Kirilloff said. “Whether that’s here or somewhere else, I kind of just keep that perspective in my mind and usually that helps.”

His wrist is feeling the best it has in months. His swing has been mechanically fine-tuned. Kirilloff is ready to go.

“It feels good to feel good,” Kirilloff succinctly summed up.

And it’ll feel even better if he starts producing at a high level in the Majors again soon.