The Minnesota Twins’ were derailed by injuries last year, and 2023 hasn’t gotten off to the right start. There’s been a few players who’ve gone down early in Spring Training, but should we already be concerned?

Last year the Twins spent the most time on the injured list out of any major league team. There’s a case to make that they would have won the AL Central had they been healthier. Some blame can be put on the Twins’ ex-head athletic trainer, Michael Salazar, but the early returns in 2023 haven’t been good either.

All signs point to Nick Paparesta being a good hire from the Oakland Athletics, and I don’t think it’s fair to put the injuries on him just yet.

Here’s a look at the injured players in camp:

• Austin Martin: UCL sprain in right elbow
• Nick Gordon: Mild-to-moderate high ankle sprain. In a boot and crutches
• Jose Miranda: Shoulder soreness, will begin throwing in a few days – optimistic about Opening Day
• Trevor Larnach: Groin injury – tested it out on March 7, and went well
• Jordan Balazovic: Broken Jaw
• Gilberto Celestino: Ruptured UCL in left thumb. Expected to return in 6-8 weeks

Not mentioned are Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff, but we knew of their injuries prior. Expect AK to be ready by Opening Day or within the first couple of weeks. Lewis should return sometime in June, but that can change.

Those are two important pieces for the Twins, and we wish them a speedy recovery.

Let’s start with Balazovic. He had a terrible 2022 season in Triple-A, posting an ERA of 7.39. The stuff is there, but he needs to turn things around and stay healthy. He was sent home early due to an altercation at night in which he suffered a broken jaw from a punch. So far, it’s been another disappointing start for the once top-100 prospect.

Martin and Celestino were likely only factors if there was an injury replacement. Martin had a better shot at competing in the big leagues, and it’s unknown how long this UCL sprain in his elbow will take to heal. Martin needs to have a bounce-back 2023 season, and this isn’t what you want to see.

Larnach battled a core injury that ended his season last year, and he’s already favoring a groin injury in Spring Training. He’s been injured a lot over the last two seasons, and the Twins are relying on him to take that next step in 2023.

The good news: it’s trending in the right direction for Miranda being a full go on Opening Day. He’s able to DH, and he’s done a good job at that. He’s hit three home runs over the last three games and is hitting .357 through six. If he can’t play third for a few more weeks, it’s nice to know he will still be a lethal option at the plate.

Gordon is currently on crutches and in a boot and was a major piece last season for the Twins. He was the energizer, and we saw more pop from him. He likely has the same role this season once he gets healthy, but I wouldn’t expect him to be able to go by Opening Day.

The Twins have suffered several injuries, but the good news is there hasn’t been any major ones. A lot of the bad news has been about players missing at most, two months.

We should be a little concerned, but there’s been nothing major yet. Hopefully, Minnesota can get these guys back to 100 percent by Opening Day and work towards building a playoff run.