Observations and quotes from Thursday's workout

VIERA, Fla. - Conditions weren't exactly ideal when the Nationals trotted onto the back fields outside Space Coast Stadium for their first full squad workout of the spring. Temperatures in the 50s? A 30-mph wind howling from the northwest? Not quite what Dusty Baker expected.

"It was kind of chilly, considering we're in Florida," the new manager said. "But they didn't say anything. They just worked, which is what I like."

Some observations (non-weather-related) from today's workout ...

* Sixteen pitchers threw live batting practice, four at a time spread out over the cloverleaf of fields. In past camps, they've typically only held two live BP sessions at once, so this made it difficult to keep tabs on everybody involved. (Baker, who watched from behind the cage at one field, said he might have no choice but to climb up the tower that sits in the middle of the cloverleaf Friday to make sure he sees everything.)

Among the more notable pitchers who threw was Bronson Arroyo. This was the first time the 39-year-old right-hander threw with an actual batter in the box since June 15, 2014, his last appearance before Tommy John surgery.

"I haven't been on the mound in such a long time," he said. "My first two bullpens were not good. My first one was not good at all. My second one, I got a little more comfortable. Today, I felt kind of like my old self. It felt good to have a hitter in there, be throwing off a downhill mound and just kind of feel like you're in a game a little bit."

Arroyo wasn't just facing any hitters, though. He was up against Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Clint Robinson. (Harper and Zimmerman, as is the case with many veterans, didn't swing, instead simply tracking pitches for this first workout.)

From Arroyo's perspective, everything went well. But he knows there remain a bunch of steps before he'll actually know if he's back to being major league-ready.

"I feel good enough that I know I could go out there and throw one inning right now," he said. "But the point is, being a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, being able to throw one inning, cool down, throw another inning, cool down, throw another inning ... that's huge on an arm that's been surgically repaired. And then also, can you do that and then come back on four days' rest and do it again? And again. And again. In years past, my body handled it, no problem. But it's a bit unknown. I turned 39 yesterday, and I'd be lying if I said I'm going to go out there and be able to give you 110 pitches and have no problems, because I don't know. So this spring is going to be fun for me to go out there and compete and see how everybody reacts."

* Lucas Giolito threw his first live BP session in a big league camp, which drew plenty of onlookers (including Baker). Everyone was interested to see the top prospect in action. Well, everyone except for the three poor souls who had to dig in against his upper-90s fastball, devastating curveball and improving changeup.

That task fell to veteran outfielder Chris Heisey, first baseman-outfielder Tyler Moore and shortstop prospect Trea Turner. Heisey was first up, and immediately got a taste of things when Giolito's first pitch sailed high and inside. Heisey backed away for a moment and pretended to clutch his heart. Once his turn was complete, he walked out of the cage and declared: "Thank god I'm still alive."

As Turner took his place, Heisey yelled out to his young teammate: "Hey, Trea! Good luck, man!"

Turner responded with a sarcastic: "Hey, yeah! Thanks!" He did fare a bit better, though, connecting with one hanging curveball from Giolito, lining it back up the middle and off the L-screen that protects the pitcher.

* I didn't get a chance to see much of Stephen Strasburg's live BP session because it was going on simultaneously with Arroyo's session. But I did see Ben Revere drive a ball to the gap against the right-hander. Given Revere's speed, it might've been a triple. Also saw Daniel Murphy, Danny Espinosa and Anthony Rendon face reliever Shawn Kelley.

Baker singled out Espinosa as looking especially good at the plate for this early stage of the spring.

"I asked him: 'You been hitting?' " the manager said. "And he said, 'Yeah, I've been hitting a lot.' So you know he's ready to take this job." .

* Speaking of "this job," it's always interesting to see how fielding groups are put together. In this case, the A group of infielders included Rendon at third base, Murphy at second base, Zimmerman at first base (along with Robinson and Moore) and Espinosa (along with Stephen Drew) at shortstop. Turner, on the other hand, was in a B group with mostly younger players.