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| Alexi Casilla was a hero for the Twins in tonight's 6-5 win over the Tigers at the Metrodome, as he went 1-for-1 with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning. Carlos Gomez crossed the plate for the winning run that sent Minnesota into the playoffs. |
Our View: The club will now battle the Yankees in Game 1 in New York on Wednesday.
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| Alexi Casilla has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take the roster spot of Matt Tolbert, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla is batting just .180 in 111 major league at-bats this season, and is not an option in any format.
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| Alexi Casilla has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester by the Twins, according to the Star Tribune. Nick Punto was activated from the DL as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Casilla held a dismal .180 average over 111 at-bats with Minnesota, and failed to save his spot on the roster. He should not be missed in fantasy leagues while working on his skills in the minors.
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| Alexi Casilla has been recalled by the Twins from Triple-A Rochester, according to TSN. Nick Punto was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right groin as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Casilla will see some action at second base while Punto is on the shelf over the next two weeks, but is only hitting .167 over 84 at-bats this season, and he is not a favorable fantasy option. Brendan Harris will cover shortstop.
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| Alexi Casilla was hitting .353 over 13 games with Triple-A Rochester heading into Friday, but Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire indicated that reports say he has not been swinging the bat well as of late, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla was only hitting .167 over 84 at-bats with Minnesota this season prior to getting demoted, and it does not sound like Gardenhire plans on bringing him back soon.
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| Alexi Casilla went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple in his season debut with Triple-A Rochester Friday, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla was sent down to the minors as he was struggling with a .167 average over 84 at-bats with the Twins. He could return to the team if he continues to hit well with Rochester.
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| The Twins have demoted second baseman Alexi Casilla to Triple-A Rochester, the Minneapolis Star Tribune confirms. |
Our View: The Twins called up infielder Matt Tolbert to fill the roster spot, but Brendan Harris will likely see most of the starts at second base. Casilla responded well when he was sent back to the minors to open 2008, and the Twins are obviously hoping for a similar result this time around.
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| Alexi Casilla is only hitting .160 over 75 at-bats with 14 strikeouts, but skipper Ron Gardenhire indicated that are no immediate plans to demote him to Triple-A Rochester, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Matt Tolbert would be a candidate to replace him, however. Casilla only has one hit over his last 18 at-bats.
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| Second baseman Alexi Casilla is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels. Brendan Harris will start at second and bat second. |
Our View: Casilla had an awful Thursday night against Roy Halladay, and manager Ron Gardenhire is likely just giving the starter a night off.
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| Alexi Casilla singled home two runs in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday to give the Twins a 6-5 win over the Mariners. |
Our View: The game-winning single was Casilla's only hit in five at-bats. For the most part, he struggled with men in scoring position, leaving a total of three men on base.
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| Alexi Casilla went 4-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's 9-5 loss to the Red Sox. He hit four singles, and swiped two bases. |
Our View: He raised his spring average to .457 and has four stolen bases. Casilla is worth targeting as a No. 2 fantasy second baseman, with upside for more. He could be a nice source for speed.
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| Alexi Casilla went 0-for-4 on Thursday night to drop his average to .290 for the Twins. |
Our View: Casilla is 0-for-9 the past two games and is hitting just .200 over 60 AB since returning from the DL as his hand injuries is seemingly still effective his ability to produce at the plate.
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| Alexi Casilla has been activated from the 15-day DL following his recovery from a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to the Star Tribune. He went 4-for-7 in two games during his rehab stint with Single-A Beloit. To make room on the roster, Minnesota sent Brian Bass to Triple-A Rochester. |
Our View: Casilla should be ready to pencil into fantasy lineups for the next fantasy week.
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| The Twins plan to bring Alexi Casilla back to the team on Wednesday, MLB.com confirms. Casilla has been out since July 29 due to a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Twins being a 14-game road trip on Thursday. |
Our View: Casilla might not be officially activated until Thursday, although that point seems to be a bit hazy. The second baseman was helping fantasy teams before this injury, but we're not as confident he'll hit so well if he's playing through some pain.
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| The Star Tribune indicates that Alexi Casilla will begin his rehab assignment Monday with Single-A Beloit. He is trying to rebound from a torn tendon in his right thumb. |
Our View: Casilla will play Monday and Tuesday, and if all goes favorably without a setback, he’ll rejoin the Twins on Wednesday, before they leave on their 14-day road trip.
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| Alexi Casilla took batting practice on Saturday and could begin a minor league rehab assignment early next week, MLB.com reports. He is trying to come back from a torn ligament in his right thumb. Casilla only hit from the right side on Saturday, as the thumb bothers him more when he hits left-handed. The Twins are cautiously hoping that Casilla could rejoin the club as early as August 21. |
Our View: We're skeptical that Casilla will be ready by August 21, but we also didn't think he'd be this far along by now. We'll continue to update his status.
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| Alexi Casilla took ground balls and threw prior to the Twins' game Friday, according to MLB.com. Recovering from a torn tendon in his right thumb, Casilla said he experienced no pain during the drills. He also hit off a tee. While he said he felt fine hitting right-handed, the switch hitter said he had some pain while batting left-handed. |
Our View: Casilla said he might take live batting practice on Monday and could begin a rehab assignment next week if all goes well. It was originally thought that Casilla would be out for the season, so he's obviously made a miraculous recovery.
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| Alexi Casilla is "100 percent" certain about returning this season and may come off the disabled list as soon as next week, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla, who is batting .313, will have his splint removed Wednesday and will resume baseball activities Friday.
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| Alexi Casilla received good news on Friday as he learned that would he not need surgery on his injured right thumb, according to Sports Illustrated. |
Our View: Casilla will wear a splint for about another week before resuming baseball activities. If everything goes well, he could be back in about two weeks, especially if he doesn't need a minor league rehab assignment as has been suggested.
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| In a surprising about-face, Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla will not undergo surgery like he had planned, and instead will put his thumb in a splint to see if it heals on its own, according to TwinsBaseball.com. |
Our View: It's still very possible Casilla will have surgery, but if you did not get rid of him yet, stash him on your fantasy team's DL for a week if you can afford the roster spot.
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| Alexi Casilla, on the DL due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, will have surgery and probably miss the rest of the season according to a statement he made to the Star Tribune. However,after Casilla made this announcement, the team was quick to say that no official decision has been made and won't be until Alexi visits a hand specialist on Thursday. |
Our View: Casilla said he was "going to do surgery for sure", so it is clear that he has already thrown in the towel on the season. Perhaps the exam on Thursday will show otherwise, but it doesn't sound good.
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| Alexi Casilla has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to the Star Tribune. Adam Everett has been activated from the DL to replace Casilla on the roster.
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Our View: Casilla will be examined by hand specialist Dr. Tom Varecka today, after he jammed the thumb sliding into second base Monday night. Nick Punto looks to get the bulk of the work at second base while Casilla is out.
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| Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla will not be in the lineup tonight because of a sore right thumb he suffered while sliding into second base last night, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. X-Rays taken on the thumb were negative. |
Our View: Casilla is also going to have an MRI on his left hand as he has a sore digit there as well. He has been a very solid option for fantasy players, so keep an eye out for further updates on his status.
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| Alexi Casilla had two more hits on Wednesday, leading to a run scored, as he upped his average to .323 in the process. |
Our View: Casilla is hitting a robust 10-for-26 since the All-Star break, a .385 clip, in what is shaping up to be a truly special season for the Twinkies. It would be nice if he stole a few more bags, but he has clearly played himself into a starting role in mixed leagues up the middle.
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| Alexi Casilla still has a sore finger on his left hand, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: The ailment hasn't hindered him though, as he is riding a five-game hitting streak, with three doubles over the span. The All-Star break should help him heal up fine.
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| Alexi Casilla extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games with an eighth-inning bunt single. |
Our View: Casilla's .320 batting average dropped a couple points (.318) in his one-hit effort of a one-run loss to the Red Sox on Monday night.
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| Alexi Casilla may be back in the lineup on Saturday. He missed Friday's contest due to a sore left middle finger. "Halfway through the game, his finger was feeling great," manager Ron Gardenhire tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Hopefully he'll be back out there [today], and we can move guys around again." |
Our View: Hopefully this minor malady doesn't cool off Casilla's bat. He has been a wonderful fantasy pick-up through his 43 games, but we're wary about him possibly playing over his head.
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| Alexi Casilla was scratched from Friday's lineup due to soreness in his left middle finger, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla iced the ailing finger five or six times on Thursday's off day. But he woke up Friday to more swelling and had trouble getting the finger loose prior to the game. Nick Punto covered second base tonight, and Brendan Harris roamed shortstop.
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| Alexi Casilla has been nursing a sprained left middle finger, but returned to the Twins' lineup at second base on Sunday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: He is batting second in the order, and registered a hit over his first two at-bats so far, and seems to be fine.
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| Alexi Casilla left Friday's game against the Brewers with a sprained left middle finger, according to the AP. |
Our View: Casilla dove after Prince Fielder's groundout in the fifth inning and was taken out during the pitching change following Corey Hart's second home run of the game. The severity of the ailment is yet to be determined.
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| Alexi Casilla produced two hits and knocked in two runs for the Twins on Sunday in their 5-3 victory over the D'backs. |
Our View: Nick Punto was activated from the DL, but with the way that Casilla has been hitting of late, Casilla figures to be able to hold off Punto given his overall lack of effectiveness as the dish.
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| Alexi Casilla was scratched from the lineup Sunday because of a sore lower back, according to the AP. Matt Macri played second in his place. |
Our View: Hopefully this isn't anything too serious, because Casilla has been a terrific fantasy producer over the last couple weeks.
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| Alexi Casilla had another big night for the Twins Friday, picking up a pair of hits, including his third homer of the year. Casilla has five hits over the last two nights and is riding a nine-game hitting streak. |
Our View: Casilla continues to be an underrated fantasy performer. He's now hitting .347 with three homers, 18 RBI and two steals over 21 games.
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| Alexi Casilla went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Orioles. |
Our View: He extended his hitting streak to eight games, with three mult-hit efforts over the span. He raised his average to .343 over 70 at-bats, and has recorded an RBI in three of his five outings in June.
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| Alexi Casilla continued a solid run at the plate with three hits in four AB from the second hole in the Twins order on Thursday. |
Our View: Casilla is hitting .326 with 12 RBI in 13 games since being called up, and as a result he is obviously playing himself into fantasy lineups across the land possibly relegating Nick Punto as unnecessary once he is healthy.
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| Minnesota needed 12 innings this evening to get the win, but they got the job done, putting the 4-3 victory in the books against the Kansas City Royals. Second baseman Alexi Casilla was a large part of that effort, going 3-of-6 at the dish with one stolen base (his first of the season) and one RBI. |
Our View: Casilla just recently started getting regular action in games and has posted at least one hit in seven of his last eight games, touting an impressive 10 RBIs during that span.
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| Alexi Casilla is starting at second base for the Twins today, according to the Star Tribune. He is batting second in the lineup between Carlos Gomez and Joe Mauer. |
Our View: He is getting a chance to prove his worth in Minnesota due to injuries to Nick Punto and Adam Everett, and he is doing a good job so far as he racked up four hits, four runs, one homer, and three RBI over his last three games. He should continue to generate solid numbers while hitting in the two-hole in the Twins' lineup.
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| The Twins have been impressed with the play of Alexi Casilla, who is hitting .278 with five runs and six RBI in seven games. "He's better now than he was before," manager Ron Gardenhire informs the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "You can see it in his at-bats. He's more under control, using his feet when he's fielding the ball. He's working, too." |
Our View: The second baseman failed to lock down the job last season, but he is getting s second shot due to injuries (Nick Punto, Adam Everett). The Twins have little reason to hold Casilla back if he continues to play well. We need to see a lot more before believing.
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| The Twins have brought up Alexi Casilla from Triple-A to replace the injured Nick Punto, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. |
Our View: Casilla was hitting a robust .219 at Rochester, but he has shown decent patience (18 walks) and still has a lot of speed. He probably won't get enough at-bats while with the Twins to help fantasy teams.
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| The Twins sent Alexi Casilla to their minor league camp on Friday, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He hit .250 and swiped four bases in 11 spring games, while continuing to struggle on defense at second base. He'll probably be back up at some point this season, but he's going to have to improve at the plate and with the glove to make it happen. |
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| Alexi Casilla returned to the lineup Monday after being bench for the previous four games, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "They explained it to me, so I understand," Casilla said. "They have a lot of experience, and I've only been playing [professionally] for five years. They're doing it because they want me to do better." Despite the fact that the Twins haven't been pleased with Casilla's play as of late, he's actually hitting .333 over his past six games. |
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| Alexi Casilla was fined an undisclosed amount by manager Ron Gardenhire for a baserunning blunder in Friday's victory over Baltimore, the AP reports. Casilla forgot how many outs there were, and made it only to second on a two-out, pop single by Jason Bartlett. Gardenhire said the punishment would mark the beginning of a kangaroo court in the Twins clubhouse. "Just having some fun and getting some getting-the-job-done attitude," Gardenhire said. Casilla also got the day off Saturday, with Nick Punto starting at second base. |
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| Alexi Casilla was in the lineup at second base Tuesday, the day after Luis Castillo was traded to the Mets, the AP reports. Casilla, a speedy 23-year-old, is still raw and prone to erratic play in both the field and on the bases, but the Twins are confident he's improved over the past months in the minors. "He's still going to have some snafus where he might get picked off at second base or something, but he's gotten better at all that," manager Ron Gardenhire said. Nick Punto will also play some at second, as Brian Buscher and Jeff Cirillo get more time at third base. Casilla had two singles, a run and an RBI Tuesday, batting out of the ninth spot in the order. |
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| Alexi Casilla will probably go back to the minors when Luis Castillo comes off the DL, which could be early next week, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The team apparently feels having Casilla playing regularly is worth more, for now, than having him on the bench and ready in a pinch. Casilla has also had some breakdowns on defense.
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