Left field lessons continue for Christian Walker

SARASOTA, Fla. - The first day of minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex includes a morning meeting before the Orioles take the field around 11 a.m. The clubhouse opened to the media for an hour.

A few players, including reliever Mychal Givens and outfielders Christian Walker and Henry Urrutia, live in the area and decided to show up despite not receiving a formal invitation.

Other players at minicamp include pitchers Mike Wright, Logan Verrett, Chris Lee, Jason Garcia, Brian Gonzalez, Joe Gunkel, Branden Kline, Jimmy Yacabonis, Garrett Cleavinger, Jesus Liranzo, Stefan Crichton and John Means, Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander, shortstop Ryan Mountcastle and catcher Stuart Levy.

Outfielder Joey Rickard isn't here. He's working out with vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson in California. Also, catcher Chance Sisco apparently is no longer on the camp list.

Lockers are still set up for veteran free agents such as Matt Wieters, Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez, Michael Bourn, Drew Stubbs, Nolan Reimold and Vance Worley. Bourn, Stubbs and Wade Miley weren't in camp last spring, but they have nameplates here. I won't overthink it.

Walker will have a full spring training as an outfielder after making the transition from first base late in last year's camp. He didn't play left field until a March 15 game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

"It was a process, for sure," Walker said. "Anytime you're trying to learn a new position at a high level, and Triple-A has a lot of good players, it's just a process. It's a matter of reps. You're going to make some mistakes, you're going to learn some things, but you've got to take it all with a grain of salt and take it in stride and just understand it's all a part of it.

"I think that first week or so of workouts before the games start, a lot of reps (are) taken during that time, and a lot of important reps. A lot of coaches around helping and showing you what to do. Not that I felt rushed with it last year, but I think it was the last week of spring training when we decided to make the change. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to a full spring and taking on left field."

Walker received steady outfield instruction while playing for Norfolk and trying to learn on the job.

"Scotty Beerer came through a few times through Norfolk and got me out there and worked with me," Walker said. "(Ron Johnson), the manager in Triple-A, was great with us. He's familiar with the outfield a little bit and during games he'd pull me aside and say, 'Hey I noticed this.' He was great.

"Even the confidence aspect. Sometimes you question yourself when you're learning a new position. He was right there with me, saying, 'You're doing a great job.' It's all part of it. The mental side, he helped out with it a lot."

Walker said the biggest challenge was getting a good read on fly balls. He also was moving from the right to left side. It wasn't just a matter of leaving the infield.

"It's not like I was switching to right field to where I'm kind of used to where the balls move," Walker said. "The other side of the field, not catching fly balls, just reading the balls off the bat, the balls over my head or the balls that are hooked and they're moving toward the gap and moving toward the line, getting a feel for how the ball comes off the bat and what the ball's going to do. Much more goes into it than just catching a fly ball."

Walker batted .264/.321/.437 with 29 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 64 RBIs in 131 games at Norfolk. He didn't make it back to Baltimore after appearing in six games with the Orioles in 2014 and seven games in 2015.

"Yeah, I mean, it was disappointing," said Walker, who's 4-for-27 with a double and home run in the majors. "Everybody wants to be called up, but I understood. It's a guy who's learning a new position and sometimes there's not really a point for a guy to just travel around and sit on the bench, so I get it. It's part of it, it's part of the learning curve and I'm focused on this year."

The sun rises over the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla., home of Orioles minicamp.

The Orioles are holding their fourth annual minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.