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Ultimately, all three of the below storylines are really different ways of framing the overarching question that will determine the course of the 2023 Minnesota Twins season: Can ____ stay healthy? (Fill in the blank with any and all players of your choice, from Byron Buxton all the way down to Jorge Alcala.)

As we approach camp, it’s worth bearing in mind that we might not get satisfactory answers to all of these questions during Spring Training. This group of Twins leaders has erred on the side of caution in ramping up their players’ workloads, and the plethora of injury concerns around this 40-man roster could make for an even more deliberate buildup this spring with several key players.

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1. Who’s on first?

(a.k.a. Can Alex Kirilloff stay healthy?)

In an ideal world, Kirilloff would seize the first-base job and establish himself as the regular there. The Twins have been waiting for his high-floor bat to provide consistent impact from the middle of their lineup since they first called him up during the 2020 playoffs, and he has the tools to be a very solid defender there.

But injuries have gotten in his way at every turn.

Each of Kirilloff’s last two seasons have ended prematurely due to wrist surgeries, with the Twins hoping that his most recent procedure might have finally resolved the longstanding pain in the joint. But from a baseball standpoint, there doesn’t seem to be much precedent for players undergoing that surgery, which included Kirilloff’s bone being broken and shaved down to create more spacing in the wrist.

At TwinsFest, Kirilloff said he was still experiencing some aches while swinging, but he’s hoping that will soon pass as the bone continues to heal. He’s been at this point before -- building back after a surgery, hoping that the latest one finally did the trick. Each time he’s tried to do so in the past, he’s hit another roadblock. If he does so again, the Twins seem to be ready to play Joey Gallo at first -- but that would take away the strength of his outfield defense.

They’ll have to wait and see if it will come to that -- or if, this time, the pain will finally go away and let Kirilloff realize his potential.

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2. Is there as much starting depth as it seems?

(a.k.a. Can Kenta Maeda, Tyler Mahle and Pablo López stay healthy?)

On paper, the Twins have a rotation logjam, with six MLB-caliber starters jostling for position. But in practice, it’s not so simple because of all the injury question marks.

Maeda is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Mahle only made four starts for Minnesota last season due to mysterious shoulder issues that the Twins seem to be hoping will have subsided with rest. López pitched a full season last year, but his career has been riddled with shoulder troubles. Sonny Gray dealt with hamstring and pectoral issues last year. Bailey Ober missed most of last season with recurring groin issues.

Every starting pitcher among the top six except Joe Ryan has some level of injury concern. Can they make it through Spring Training unscathed? And will Maeda and Mahle be their old selves?

3. Does the bullpen need help?

(a.k.a. Can Jorge Alcala and Jhoan Duran stay healthy?)

Again, on paper, the Twins have an eight-man bullpen ready to go in Duran, Alcala, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, Jorge López, Jovani Moran, Trevor Megill and Emilio Pagán. Alcala had the makings of a breakout at the end of 2021 but essentially lost his entire ‘22 season to elbow troubles and surgery. If he’s back to his old self, that would be a huge boost to the ‘pen -- but for now, that seems like a question mark.

The bullpen also looks much less secure if Duran runs into any arm troubles. He was healthy throughout a phenomenal rookie season, but he is a very hard thrower with an injury history -- and considering Jorge López’s struggles following his arrival in Minnesota, any issues with Duran would leave a significant gap.

How will the back-end hierarchy stack up? Can López be trusted in high leverage? Can Alcala? Can the Twins salvage Pagán? There are many important questions here that need answers.