SARASOTA – Chris Bassitt played catch in the outfield on the main stadium field this morning, warmed in the bullpen and walked to the mound. He was ready to face his first hitters since signing with the Orioles.

He made the best of the situation.

Bassitt had two ups in his live batting practice session against some of his higher-profile teammates – Pete Alonso, Tyler O’Neill, Gunnar Henderson and Taylor Ward. Infielder Thairo Estrada, signed to a minor league deal a few days ago, reported to camp and joined the group.

“I don’t like facing our hitters,” Bassitt said. “You can’t really work a lot what you want to do. The next one will be in games, thankfully.

“There’s nothing really to gain for me to face our hitters in the aspect of, I’m not trying to throw in and work things. I’m protecting them, they’re protecting me, so it’s more so just getting reps.”

The next appearance is expected to come Sunday against the Red Sox in Fort Myers, his first chance to go after opposing batters. He can come inside as much as he wants.

Bassitt, who signed on Feb. 13 for $18.5 million, induced a ground ball to short from Alonso, struck out O’Neill looking, walked Henderson, got a fly ball to center field from Ward and walked Estrada with the count full.

O’Neill grounded to short in the next inning, after Hans Crouse was done throwing. Henderson popped up to shallow left field, Ward struck out looking, Estrada lined a single to center, Alonso flied to center, and Henderson walked – a borderline pitch that had Bassitt cursing himself for the miss.

“I feel really good,” Bassitt said. “Standard is kind of how I’ve treated the last couple camps is just making sure that I’m physically in the right spot. I feel really, really good right now. Feel great about like the build up, so to speak. The game plan to get into the season.

“Now it’s just more so building the right way. We have a little bit of runway to kind of get us where we want to go for obviously the Opening Day kind of thing. And the aspect of pitch count and innings and all that stuff so I can help us anyway I can. Yeah, overall it’s good.”

Left-hander Cade Povich, trying to make the club as a starter or reliever after his 22 appearances last season, is using his time in camp to seek advice from Bassitt and learn from him.

“It’s been great,” Povich said. “The last few days we’ve been catch partners, which has been great. Him having me toy around with some things just in catch play just to see him, and then having some good conversations, whether it’s in the dugout, during games that neither of us are throwing, after catch play or just in the clubhouse, it’s been great.

“He’s had a very good career so far and pitching as he gets older, he’s played in this game for a long time and I think that’s kind of what we all strive to do. He’s definitely a guy that I’m going to continue listening to. It feels really great playing catch with him, and him coming to me to have some conversations, trying to make me better. But the rest of the staff, as well.”

Manager Craig Albernez is impressed with the way Bassitt has integrated himself in the clubhouse and immediately fit in with the group. Bassitt led the cheering section during the gold medal men’s hockey game, and he played a few games of ping pong earlier today before heading out to the field.

The back-and-forth with Alonso was entertaining, beginning with the Polar Bear misunderstanding Bassitt’s request to face Henderson as his final batter in order to see another left-hander. Alonso began to walk out of the box.

“I thought you were ducking me,” Alonso said.

“I ain’t ducking you one pitch,” Bassitt replied.

Alonso flied to center field and yelled, “Oh no.”

“You knew that was coming,” Bassitt said. “I told you one pitch.”

Everyone gathered in front of the dugout after the session ended and Bassitt took another opportunity to chide Alonso for seeing only two pitches in two at-bats.

If you’re gonna give it, you’ve also got to take it. That’s part of the fun.

“Pete knows,” Bassitt said with a grin. “Yeah, Pete knows.

Bassitt often sits at his locker, making himself available to teammates and media. He’s one of the more accessible players on the team.

“He’s a selfless player,” Albernaz said. “He’s had so many different experiences coming up, like being in Oakland, a young pitcher, and then going to New York, and then being in Toronto. And that’s what I love about baseball is, these guys always pay it forward and that’s what makes this game great. And Bassitt exemplifies that, where he’s been through a lot, he’s battle tested, so he has all the experiences to kind of share with any pitcher, but especially our young guys.

“All of our guys are picking his brain, and even our position players, too. I think that’s the beauty of the culture that’s being cultivated with our players in the clubhouse is just everyone bouncing ideas off each other and idea sharing.”

Bassitt described the young pitchers as “super talented.”

“Now it’s just trying to see kind of what we need to clean up. And then obviously learning them and maximizing their strengths,” he added.

“A lot of those guys, I think they don’t even realize how talented they are yet. It’s just keeping everyone accountable and hungry and just getting them ready for what’s lying ahead.”

This is paying it forward after Barry Zito, Brett Anderson and others mentored Bassitt in Oakland.

“All the veteran guys that I came up with kind of did that, but it’s more so just what it kind of takes to win,” Bassitt said.

“That comes in all different forms. It’s just trying to put as much pressure on these young guys, and obviously some older guys and stuff like that. The pressure that I’m gonna put on them is nothing compared to what’s about to come, so I’m not too worried about the tough love aspect of it all.”

*Closer Ryan Helsley makes his spring debut today in Fort Myers. Yennier Cano, Dietrich Enns, Yaramil Hiraldo, Chayce McDermott and Grant Wolfram also are listed.

*Trevor Rogers starts Wednesday against the Rays in Sarasota and Dean Kremer starts Thursday against the Tigers in Sarasota.