SARASOTA, Fla. — The dread that so often builds among fans in the lead-up to Orioles general manager Mike Elias’ first appearance with the media at spring training was, mostly, unwarranted this year.

Elias didn’t require a piece of paper to rattle off the updates, as he did last year. He memorized them, because, when it came to right-hander Félix Bautista, it was good news. Elias expects the closer to be ready for opening day, although he’ll continue to build up slowly and may not appear in Grapefruit League games immediately.

Infielder Jorge Mateo isn’t expected to be ready for opening day as he recovers from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, but Elias said, overall, Mateo is “in a great spot medically,” already playing catch and partaking in a hitting progression. Mateo is unlikely to feature during spring training games.

The third — and most serious — injury update was for left-hander Trevor Rogers, who suffered a kneecap subluxation in late January. The issue leaves Rogers behind schedule by “some number of weeks,” Elias said.

Beyond that trio, the Orioles opened spring training Thursday in Sarasota with a clean bill of health. Manager Brandon Hyde, entering his seventh season, said this is the deepest player pool at his disposal during his time in Baltimore. And Elias said, if this is the group the Orioles will operate with this season, it’s a championship-caliber squad.

“We’ve put ourselves in a really good position to continue to play toward the top of our division,” Elias said. “Obviously, the competition is really stiff, and Major League Baseball, we all know what the landscape looks like in Major League Baseball, but we’re really excited about where the team’s at, where the organization’s at, where the franchise is at. I think we’re going to have a great season.”

The Orioles didn’t replace right-hander Corbin Burnes, the ace who carried a 2.92 ERA in 194 1/3 innings last year. But Elias remains bullish that the team assembled, even without an ace of Burnes’ stature, is capable of carrying the load. Hyde said he has “high expectations” of right-handers Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer, and Baltimore signed right-handers Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to supplement the rotation.

But Baltimore didn’t make a splash by securing a long-term extension for Burnes, nor did the Orioles land one of the high-end free agent pitchers available. A trade could still be a possibility, with San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease a potential target, but that possibility appears to be narrowing now that camp has begun.

“We’re here. The group’s here,” Elias said. “This is a group we feel ready to take into the season, and every day that ticks along into spring training, the odds of outside additions kind of tick down, but there’s always a possibility.”

Sugano has yet to report to camp but should arrive by this weekend, Elias said. The 35-year-old is in Tokyo finishing his visa, Elias said. Right-hander Zach Eflin also hasn’t reported; his wife, Lauren, gave birth to the couple’s fourth child.

Mateo said so far he’s only swinging with one arm as he continues to heal, but it’s “still a goal of mine to try to be ready for the start of the season,” he said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. Rogers, meanwhile, said his knee dislocation lasted about a second before popping back into place. He can throw and hopes to ramp up his movement soon.

And right-hander Tyler Wells, who is recovering from elbow reconstruction surgery, is back to throwing from flat ground. He doesn’t have a timeline for his return.

Many of the position players have already reported, despite the first official full-squad workout not being scheduled until Tuesday. Around the clubhouse at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, Hyde sees the most experienced group of players they’ve had thus far during his tenue. Some of that comes from the experience gained by many of the young prospects who have established themselves in the majors.

He didn’t want to establish playing time expectations yet, but Hyde figures there are five outfielders who “all need at-bats” — three lefties and two righties. The infield, too, is crowded with regulars from years past.

For the past two years, the Orioles have been one of the best teams in the regular season. Then came the postseason, and Baltimore wound up winless twice, spit out of the playoffs into the offseason.

That will hang over the Orioles, even during the spring. But, at least on day one, there were few injuries to report, and at this stage of the year, that’s another tick in the win column.