FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Twins top outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff underwent successful Tommy John surgery in New York on Wednesday, and he will head back to Fort Myers to rehab, the club announced Thursday.
Kirilloff, the Twins' first-round pick in the 2016 Draft, is ranked as Minnesota's No. 3 prospect and No. 98 overall by MLBPipeline.com. He injured his left elbow on a throw while playing for Rookie-level Elizabethton on Aug. 28. Dr. David Altchek performed the surgery on Kirilloff, who had a full tear of his ulnar collateral ligament.
It will be five months before he can return to baseball activities such as swinging a bat, but the entire rehab process is expected to take nine months. The Twins are hopeful Kirilloff will be able to participate in the instructional league in late September.

Kirilloff, 19, hit .306/.341/.454 with seven homers, nine doubles and 33 RBIs in 55 games with Elizabethton last year, earning the Appalachian League MVP Award. His season was cut short with the elbow injury, and he tried to avoid surgery, receiving platelet-rich plasma therapy. But Kirilloff's symptoms returned while throwing this spring, and surgery was deemed necessary.
Worth noting
• Left-handed reliever Mason Melotakis, who was slowed early in camp with a strained oblique, threw his first live batting-practice session against hitters on Thursday. But with the first round of roster cuts coming Monday, Melotakis doesn't seem likely to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring.
• The Twins saw a pair of familiar faces in their exhibition game against Team Colombia, as Minnesota Minor Leaguers Reynaldo Rodriguez and Yohan Pino are on the roster and will compete in the World Baseball Classic.