Alexi Casilla returned to action on Friday July 1.

Alexi Casilla is out of Wednesday's lineup with a sore thumb and a stiff back.

Matt Tolbert will start in his place Wednesday against the Dodgers. Casilla is available off the bench and should return to the lineup for Friday's series opener with the Brewers.

Alexi Casilla hit his first home run of the season on Sunday, as the Twins edged the Padres 5-4 to notch their seventh straight victory.

Don't look now, but Minnesota is 14-3 in June after entering the month at 17-36 with almost no chance at winning the American League Central. As for Casilla, he's hardly been an offensive dynamo, but is hitting a respectable .264 to go along with 14 RBI.

Alexi Casilla finished 4-for-5 with two RBI Saturday in the Twins' 7-2 victory over the Royals.

Casilla has quietly been raking since late May and has watched his OPS rise more than 100 points in the last 11 days. Peeling back the cover a bit shows that he's due for a regression back to mediocrity, but riding the hot hand is always a smart strategy in fantasy circles and Casilla could be a worthwhile addition in AL-only leagues.

Alexi Casilla will start at second base in Tuesday's game against the White Sox.

Meanwhile, Matt Tolbert is starting at shortstop. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire hasn't dismissed the possibility that Tsuyoshi Nishioka could play shortstop upon his return, but it's also possible that he could be seeing if Tolbert is a viable option there. Stay tuned.

The slumping Alexi Casilla went 0-for-4 in Thursday's loss to the Rays.

With Tsuyoshi Nishioka down, the Twins don't have any real alternative other than to keep running Casilla out at shortstop. He's hitting just .179 and he's been inconsistent defensively, so he's been about as much of a liability as any AL regular to date. Still, he's better than Matt Tolbert.

Alexi Casilla went 0-for-4 on Wednesday to end the spring with a .200 average.

The good news for Casilla is that he's a shortstop now, so he won't be so easy to replace if he continues to slump during the regular season. Still, the Twins should only be so patient. The 26-year-old had an encouraging 2010 season, but he's hit just .259/.306/.327 in 958 at-bats as a major leaguer and it's not as though he's likely to contend for Gold Glove honors.

Alexi Casilla (ankle) participated in fielding drills Monday morning in Twins camp.

Casilla tweaked his left ankle while running the bases Sunday, but he was right back to work on Monday morning and should be back in the Twins' spring lineup within the next few days. He will open the 2011 season as Minnesota's starting shortstop.

Alexi Casilla tweaked his left ankle running the bases Sunday and will miss a day or two, according to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.

Casilla, who will enter the season as the Twins starting shortstop, batted .276/.331/.395 with one homer and six steals in 152 at-bats for the Twins last season. He also missed two months after surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. This season is his big opportunity to prove he is a major league starter, but he should be avoided in fantasy.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Twins "seem to be leaning" towards using Alexi Casilla at shortstop.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was alternating Casilla and Tsuyoshi Nishioka between shortstop and second base during drills on Wednesday, but that seems to be the early consensus. While Nishioka was considered a solid defender at the shortstop position in Japan, many believe that his game will translate better to second base in the United States. This is all speculation for now, so we'll just have to wait and see once the games begin.

The Twins and Alexi Casilla have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $865,000 contract, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.

Casilla batted .276/.331/.395 with one homer and six steals in 152 at-bats for the Twins last season.

Alexi Casilla is likely in line for a starting job in 2011, whether it's at second base or shortstop.

Second baseman Orlando Hudson is likely to leave as a free agent, and the Twins could choose to non-tender shortstop J.J. Hardy. The Twins are also aiming to inject more speed into their lineup, which Casilla brings. He batted .276/.331/.395 with one homer and six steals in 152 at-bats for the Twins last season.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Friday that he's considering starting Alexi Casilla at shortstop in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

J.J. Hardy has started the first two games of the series and is just 1-for-7. Casilla stole 17 bases in 69 games during the regular season and could add an element of speed to the Twins' lineup as Gardenhire and Co. look to survive against Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes. Game 3 is on Saturday.

Alexi Casilla returned to action on Saturday September 25.

Alexi Casilla left Friday's game against the Tigers in the fourth inning due to a non-baseball related illness.

It sounds like something is going around the Twins' locker room, as Friday's starter Francisco Liriano was pulled for the very same reason. Casilla was 0-for-1 before being replaced by Trevor Plouffe.

Alexi Casilla rejoined the starting lineup Thursday and went 1-for-4 versus the White Sox.

Casilla made an appearance off the bench Wednesday, but he hadn't started in five days because of an ankle injury. Of course, he was due to play less anyway with Orlando Hudson back.

Alexi Casilla returned to action on Wednesday August 11.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that Alexi Casilla (ankle) is available for Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

Casilla suffered a sprained left ankle during Saturday's game. He's not yet 100 percent, but this is certainly a good sign.

The MRI on Alexi Casilla's ankle surned out to be fine, and he won't need a trip to the disabled list.

Good news. X-rays showed a bone chip in the ankle, so it's a little surprising that Casilla doesn't need some DL time. He'll likely still get a few days off, though. Orlando Hudson has returned from the DL and will regain his starting spot at second.

X-rays Saturday on Alexi Casilla's left ankle showed a bone chip.

Casilla will undergo an MRI on Sunday and then the Twins will determine if he is fine to continue playing. There's a good chance that he will need a stint on the disabled list, and maybe even season-ending surgery.