Alex Kirilloff won't be in left field for the Twins on Opening Day. Now what?

The Twins optioned Kirilloff, the No. 26 prospect in baseball, to their alternate training site on Tuesday, bringing an end to the speculation throughout Spring Training that the club might buck convention by carrying the 23-year-old on its Opening Day roster. That likely leaves Brent Rooker and Kyle Garlick jostling for the opening in the outfield created by Eddie Rosario's departure to Cleveland.

Manager Rocco Baldelli and the Twins have remained publicly coy about their plans. But their defensive alignments this spring suggest that Rooker could have a leg up in that competition with Opening Day only a week away.

"We’re going to let Spring Training play out at this point," Baldelli said. "We have some very good options, guys we believe in, guys that we think can handle the role in left field, but also some other roles, too, and be able to help us in a lot of different ways."

Rooker, the club's No. 13 prospect, was in left field alongside most of the Twins' projected Opening Day starters in their 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla., going 0-for-3 with a groundout, a flyout and a strikeout. Even before Kirilloff was optioned, Rooker's presence among that group had been a familiar sight.

Wednesday marked the fifth time this spring the Twins have started an outfield of Rooker, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler, making it by far their most common outfield alignment. Kirilloff started next to Buxton and Kepler twice, and Garlick hasn't shared a starting outfield with both Buxton and Kepler all spring.

Rooker and Garlick both have right-handed power bats, but president of baseball operations Derek Falvey noted that Garlick has historically shown a strength for hitting left-handed pitching, while Rooker is more power-oriented with less pronounced lefty-righty splits. Rooker is homegrown, having been selected No. 35 overall in the 2017 Draft, while Garlick is a 29-year-old who was claimed off waivers from the Braves.

If Rooker does claim the opening as a possible platoon candidate with Jake Cave and a backup option at first base and designated hitter, there remains the question of his defense, which has always lagged well behind his advanced bat. Baldelli said the Twins have emphasized getting Rooker playing time in the outfield instead of at first base this spring to give him as many live reps as possible to improve his jumps, reads and acceleration.

That lack of seasoning on defense flared up in the third inning of Wednesday's game. Rooker threw to an uncovered third base following an RBI single to left, and his error allowed another run to score.

"A lot of what Rook brings to the table is always on the offensive side of the ball," Baldelli said. "But he's certainly put in the time to make himself a good, usable Major League outfielder, and he's going to continue to work at that."

The Twins have repeatedly said that Rooker's bat is big league ready, and he doesn't have much left to prove in the Minors as a 26-year-old former high Draft pick who posted a .933 OPS with 14 homers at Triple-A Rochester in 2019. He hit .316/.381/.579 with one homer and two doubles in seven big league games last season before suffering a season-ending right arm fracture, and he didn't appear out of his element at any point.

That hitting has carried through to this spring. Rooker is 8-for-28 (.286) with one homer and three doubles, though the strikeout numbers have climbed to 11 in 28 at-bats. Garlick is in the midst of a 9-for-27 (.333) spring with a team-leading four homers and one double.

They have far outpaced Kirilloff, who was 4-for-31 (.129) with an uncharacteristic eight strikeouts. Baldelli noted that wasn't the sole cause for Kirilloff falling out of the competition on Tuesday and characterized it as a "baseball move." Kirilloff hasn't played above Double-A and appeared in one competitive game in 2020, and the Twins promoted Rooker before Kirilloff last season. Kirilloff might not have gotten a playoff start had Rooker still been healthy.

"What we really want is for Alex to start his career off at the Major League level on a good note where he's feeling good, and he's locked in, and he's ready to go and then never look back," Baldelli said. "And I have no doubt that we're going to find that point. He's going to get there."

In the meantime, the door is finally open for Rooker to earn a consistent opportunity amid a crowded outfield group -- and the Twins' usage of him suggests that could be coming soon.

"You're looking for ways to get a guy like that in the lineup because you know he can do damage, you know he can be a very productive Major League offensive player," Baldelli said. "That's something that we can say with some certainty and feel good about it."