Showalter after the first workout (with pictures)

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles concluded their first workout and manager Buck Showalter met with the media in the prep room.

A photo of a pride of lions hangs on a wall above him with the caption: "Surround Yourself With Those On The Same Mission As You."

Showalter was impressed that every player who took a physical was on the field today.

"That's one of the rare times when we didn't get any 'hold this guy off the field' type of thing until we get something checked out," Showalter said. "Even the coaches."

Eight pitchers threw in the bullpen today: Ubaldo Jimenez, Ryan Webb and Mark Hendrickson in Group 1; Zach Britton, T.J. McFarland and Dylan Bundy in Group 2; and Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach in Group 3.

"You'll see more throwing tomorrow," Showalter said.

Jimenez appeared to be using the same, more compact delivery that he tried in September.

"He was good today," Showalter said. "You get little snippets of what guys did the last time. Pretty tight. He's maintaining what he did. Wally (Dave Wallace) was kind of waiting to see if he was going to go with the delivery he had in the last month of the season, which was a lot better. He seemed to do a lot better out of it, something with his hands that he's doing.

"Boy, he was in the zone the whole day today. That was pretty good the first time out."

Gausman said he felt good today.

"Just getting back into it," he said. "Feel like the first couple days every year it's kind of more about getting used to being in your cleats for a long period of time. I'm obviously not trying to create anything new just yet. Just work on hitting my spots, and I think most importantly you just kind of feel your body.

"The first two weeks before games you get used to throwing bullpens and feel your body. It's a little different schedule so it usually takes a couple days for your body to get used to it."

Gausman threw to the plate with the strings running across it.

"Actually, during the season I always throw to strings, but today I just happened to hop on that mound," Gausman said. "I wasn't working on hitting them or anything. I was just working on feeling my mechanics more than anything. But during the season a lot of us use it just as kind of a focal point to keep the ball there or below."

Matt Wieters caught some of the sessions and hit from both sides of the plate during batting practice.

"I was talking to him today and he's already breaking down guys," Showalter said. "He was talking about how, catching McFarland, you really see why he's successful. Matt is in midseason analytical form.

"We missed him. I don't care how good our guys that took up the slack were. We missed him. A lot of things he brought more than offensively and defensively. It's good to see him back and smiling and knowing that the end game's not too far away.

"I talked to him about how he's going to catch in intrasquad games and he said, 'Beautiful.'"

Showalter praised his "good group of catchers."

"That was fun to see," he said.

Showalter was asked how many "brownie points" Caleb Joseph receives after last season, when he cut down 40 percent of runners attempting to steal.

"It doesn't get thrown out," Showalter said. "Of course. That's part of the history and you give him that. He did a nice job for us, as did Stevie (Clevenger). I don't think anybody had a better defensive year than Brian Ward last year. He was the best defensive catcher in the International League."

Showalter doesn't necessarily view Joseph as the favorite to back up Wieters and the other candidates must beat him out for the job.

"I hadn't really thought about it that way," Showalter said. "We've got a lot of guys to pick from for the most part that stay in the mix, whether they make it or not. I like that flexibility. But the familiarity we have with the job that Caleb did last year certainly works for him, but that doesn't mean it favors him and I don't think he expects that.

"There's still some unknown about what and when Matt's going to be ready to do. But once again, I think it's when and not if where he's concerned.

"I like where we are catching. That's a good group. I was thinking about it today, how far we've come at that position since three or four years ago. Not only in this group but some guys coming that we think a lot of."

Steve Johnson was full-go in the fielding drills and he may throw a bullpen session within the next few days.

"We'll use some caution from the standoint of knowing the history of it, but we'll kind of listen to Steve," Showalter said, referencing the shoulder surgery. "I think everybody's familiar with him and he's familiar with us, so we'll listen to what he's saying and his body's saying to him.

"It will be interesting to see how he feels next time out. I know Wally and them talked to him."

Showalter wasn't aware that Major League Baseball announced changes to the pace of game program until told by a reporter.

"I'm in support of anything that enhances of game," he said. "In my job, I personally don't think a lot about it, that part of it. People smarter than me that have researched it a lot more think it's something we need to do, so I'm in support of that."

Here are pictures from today's workout:

Jimenez

Johnson during pitchers' fielding practice.

Dylan Bundy throws a bullpen session.

Showalter and John Russell watch Gausman throw.