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

Naturally, there were some questions amid a sea of unknowns for the young Twins star.

“I was hopeful and very confident it was going to work out. But at the same time … in the back of my mind, I was like, ‘Alright, what’s Plan B if it doesn’t? What does my life look like without baseball? What would I enjoy doing?’ ” said Kirilloff, 26.

A couple of years later, after more injuries forced him off the field and away from the game he loved, he finally came to the conclusion that retiring would be the best option for him and his family. Kirilloff’s surprising decision, announced Thursday morning on social media, comes after his latest setback — a serious back injury — ended his season in June.

The injuries, he wrote on social media, have taken a toll on him mentally and physically, leading him to realize that his “passion for playing the game has shifted.”

“Baseball demands an ‘all-in’ approach, something I’ve brought to every season,” he wrote. “However, I can no longer give it the total commitment it requires. I’ve always believed that playing this game requires 110 percent effort, and anything less would not do justice to my teammates, coaches, fans, or the game itself.”

Kirilloff, who played outfield and first base, has been in the Twins’ organization since 2016 when he was drafted in the first round, 15th overall. He was among the team’s top prospects and after he debuted, he was expected to be an important piece of the Twins’ core for years to come.

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

Following the 2023 season, he required a shoulder surgery, then his most recent season ended prematurely because of his back. His back injury, he said, is called spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. It is a lower-lumbar injury, which he described as a chronic stress fracture and a slipping vertebrae in the L4/L5 region.

He has seen three doctors at this point, and the most recent one is confident that they can heal the spine — but it will probably take six months to a year to do so, Kirilloff said.

“Baseball has been my life up until this point, every single year, travel, playing,” Kirilloff said. “It’s uncharted territory for me to take that next step and that next chapter. It’s a leap of faith for me. It’s something I feel like is the right time right now and something that will be able to let my body reset without the demands of baseball.”

In his major league career — he debuted in the 2020 playoffs and then played four seasons for the Twins — Kirilloff never played more than 88 games in a season. He finished as a career .248 hitter with a .721 OPS, 27 home runs and 116 runs batted in in 249 games.

Now, after spending his lifetime working toward his major-league dreams, Kirilloff, who turns 27 on Nov. 9, will turn his attention toward figuring out his next steps.

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 as he rehabs his back and figures out what comes next in his life.

“A couple of years ago, if you would have told me we’d be having this conversation, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Kirilloff said. “But we’re here now. There’s definitely things I’ll miss about baseball and about the game, but ultimately, there’s a lot more that plays into a decision like this at this point in time. I’m definitely at peace with it.”