Notes from today's Nationals workout

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Though the Matt Wieters news dominated the day, there was an actual workout this morning at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Nationals' third full-squad workout, to be precise, and the second in a row to feature pitchers throwing to live hitters.

All the guys who didn't throw off the mound Monday participated today (aside from Max Scherzer, who is restricted until his right ring finger is fully healed) and among the more notable throwers were Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover.

The last time Kelley faced a live hitter, he served up a triple to Justin Turner during the fateful seventh inning of Game 5 of the National League Division Series, then walked off the mound with numbness in his fingers. What initially was feared to be something serious proved to be nothing, according to Kelley, who described the ailment as merely an aggravated nerve, something he has dealt with from time to time in his career.

So while it may have been notable to some that he was facing a live batter today for the first time since that mid-October night, Kelley didn't place any added significance on this development.

"Nah, I've known (I'm fine)," he said. "I've felt so normal. And my offseason, my workouts, my throwing, there's been nothing that's been restricted or felt different. To be honest, until you guys asked about it again, I hadn't really thought about it."

Kelley went up against a formidable trio during today's live BP session: Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Adam Eaton. There weren't many swings against him, but he was pleased with the process.

"I felt good," he said. "It was nice to at least have somebody standing in there. It's a different look, another different level of adrenaline and focus. It's a good step."

As a short reliever, Kelley knows he doesn't need a ton of preparation during spring training. He certainly doesn't need an extra-long spring like this one, a byproduct of the World Baseball Classic. With that in mind, he's careful not to overexert himself this early.

"Nothing crazy. You don't need to go out and be a hero Day 1," he said. "You need to know your body and have a plan of what you want to do. You don't need to try to accomplish too much."

Also of note on the mound today was Glover, who faced hitters for the first time since he was shut down in September with a partial tear of the labrum in his right hip.

Manager Dusty Baker, who saw part of the session, said he detected no evidence of Glover favoring that hip. He got a positive report as well from Livan Hernandez, the former Nats right-hander who is in camp this spring as a special pitching instructor.

"No, Glover threw the ball well today," Baker said. "I got there late, and ... I trust Livan's evaluation. He said: 'Dusty, he's throwing strikes.' That's what you need to see."