SARASOTA, Fla. – The first Orioles full-squad workout of spring training began indoors this morning with control owner David Rubenstein and minority owner Michael Arougheti speaking to the team. New manager Craig Albernaz took his turn while sunlight began piercing the clouds and the temperature rose.

Messages were sent within the air conditioned building before players stepped outside and broke a sweat.

“To me, it’s always great in those full-squad meetings where everyone gets a chance to kind of introduce themselves to the player,” Albernaz said. “It’s front office, it’s PR, it’s marketing. It’s the trainers letting them know what they’re about. Everyone gets a chance to talk.

“The biggest thing that always stands out in those meetings, especially the one today, is hope the players should feel the support they have from the organization. There’s a lot of people in that room and they should feel like the organization is pulling for them and not working against them. That’s the biggest thing that I wanted to convey to the guys is how much support they have for their careers and what’s gonna happen this season.”

The day didn’t feel much different than the others since camp opened, since most of the players had arrived ahead of their report dates.

“To have everyone here already working, you kind of already feel like it’s a full squad,” Albernaz said. “But the first day of full squads, you know games are coming and each day you’re getting closer to Opening Day, and that’s something we have to keep reminding our guys is that we can’t look toward Opening Day. The next day we have to be here. What can you do today to develop and be the best version of yourselves? So as we look up at the end of the year, we put great work in.”

Baserunning drills were held on the Camden Yards replica field before players walked to the stadium, where they took ground balls and caught popups and fly balls. Pete Alonso and Ryan Mountcastle worked out together at first base, Blaze Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson at second, Gunnar Henderson and Luis Vázquez at shortstop, and Coby Mayo and Weston Wilson at third. Non-roster catcher Sam Huff joined Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo, which seemed to indicate that he’s the early favorite for the third catcher role if it develops.

Albernaz moved to the front of the handshake line after the first set of drills, and everyone gathered behind the mound at the conclusion. Situational hitting was practiced in a cage on a back field before the latest live batting practice sessions, with Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and Shane Baz throwing in the stadium.

Rubenstein sat alone in the stands for the early workout, a book in hand and the usual white Orioles cap on his head. He returned for live BP, switching to the orange spring training hat. A nice day to check out his investment.

“It’s not only the caliber of talent they’re bringing in, but it’s the people they’re bringing in, like the clubhouse presence and how they mesh with their guys,” Albernaz said. “Baseball is a 162-game marathon, we play every single day, and we’re with each other more than our families. And it’s messed up to say but it’s true. And so they need to have a different bond and feel in there. And that’s something that I firmly believe in, just like family.

“I view family and teammates as the same. You can’t pick your family and you can’t pick your teammates. But with your family, you love them, and when you love somebody, you tell them the truth. You don’t sugar-coat it. You tell them directly the truth. If your brother is acting crazy, you let him know he’s acting crazy. So it’s the same thing with teammates. And also, what the ownership’s done with the facilities and everything else, with the family program, the upgrades at Camden, the upgrades here in Sarasota, the players feel that and they really appreciate it.”

Eflin had his first live BP today and faced four batters, his matchup with Reed Trimble ending in the middle of the at-bat due to his pitch count. He struck out Leody Taveras and Basallo after hitting the top prospect on the left foot.

“I’m thrilled with where I’m at,” said Eflin, who’s on a slower ramp up following his August back surgery. “The main goal was to go in there, feel healthy and get off the field. That’s what I did. I probably threw like 20 pitches and felt awesome. Felt really, really good. So really encouraged.”

The next box to check is a second live BP, perhaps expanding his pitch count.

“It’s really kind of just going to be an outing-to-outing thing,” he said. “I’ve had no setbacks, I don’t expect any setbacks, but I do have to understand I’m coming off back surgery. But to go out there and give as much effort as I did and feel nothing the entire time and feel great post, it’s definitely encouraging. I’ll keep checking those boxes and see where they take me.”

Eflin is able to maintain his arm slot, which the back pain prohibited.

“I think that was probably the biggest thing that I worked on this offseason was I was able to get in a position where I can rotate on my back with my arm back up, higher than it was last year,” he said. “I don’t think we have the numbers yet, but people are saying they noticeably see something different, whereas I can’t necessarily see it. But I feel like it’s higher. I think we’ll probably get some good info after today’s live to kind of do some comparisons, but I feel like it’s starting to get back up and it’s right where I need to be.”

Eflin went on the injured list three times last season, twice for the back, before re-signing with the Orioles. The procedure has changed his life, on and off the field.

“It’s a blessing to be completely honest. There’s no other way to put it,” he said.

“It’s really hard to describe the injury, not even physically but on the mental side. You commit yourself you can do things and you go out there and you just can’t do it. Your back shuts down, takes over your mind. Can’t pick up my kids. And there’s thoughts in your head like, can I continue to do this? Like, if I didn’t get surgery, I don’t think I’d be able to pitch anymore. So being able to get the surgery and feel the way I do has really refreshed me. I’m able to be a better dad. I can throw my kids around, I can play with them, I can come out and throw a baseball and not feel anything. So I’m just really thankful for where I am.

“To not put it too far aside, but the love and loyalty that I felt for the team to bring me back really was encouraging, so I feel like I’m in a really good spot.”

Dean Kremer had a couple of ups and he began his session by fanning Trimble and Mayo, who took a called third strike and heard someone in the dugout yell “Challenge!” Kremer struck out Mayo again on his final pitch.

Baz was nasty, using his curveball to strike out Tyler O’Neill and Rutschman and blowing a high fastball past Henderson.

Heston Kjerstad impressed again with a hard liner to left field. Mountcastle grounded a ball to the left side and a teammate yelled, “That’s a knock!”

The first major league camp for Albernaz as manager was done. He didn’t do much reflecting. The moment didn’t really seem to hit him.

“That’s just a credit to everywhere I’ve been and what they poured into me, especially in Cleveland, being the bench coach and then the associate manager,” he said.

“I used to give Vogty (Stephen Vogt) crap about the associate manager title. He just wanted to call me ‘the ass-man.’ But they really developed me to kind of take this position and be involved in a lot of conversations and stuff. So I don’t feel that, but I also do at the same point. But also the coaching staff we have. Our coaching staff has been crushing it day in and day out. So my piece of mind, where I can step away and do media like this, I know on the field everything is being buttoned up and taken care of.”

Also, know this: Albernaz ain’t changing. His team is figuring it out together.

“I’m myself at all times, and that’s what I feel like the players want to hear,” he said. “They want to hear authenticity, they want to hear what you’re really about, and they can see through when stuff’s fake. So I was myself. I’m always gonna be myself to a fault.”