SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A contingent of front office executives, media and fans moved from one corner of Scottsdale Stadium to the next, all eyeing the same player.

Buster Posey didn't disappoint the group.

The Giants' catcher and cleanup hitter looked sharp Sunday while catching two bullpen sessions and sent a ball over the left-field wall on his fifth swing of batting practice.

"I'm really happy with the way everything felt," said Posey, who missed most of last season because of a fractured left leg and torn ligaments in his ankle. "It was special to me, because I put in a lot of work to get to this point."

Posey will repeat most of the process today but won't catch bullpen sessions. He caught for Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain on Sunday.

"There's plenty of time still," Posey said. "There's no point in trying to do it all in the first few days."

Lincecum's teammates saw all they needed to see during the Giants' first workout since pitchers and catchers reported to Scottsdale on Saturday.

"It just kind of picked up where we left off," Lincecum said. "It's like having the old Posey back."

The day's first activity was a sight that should put minds at ease in the Bay Area: Posey and Lincecum, standing in the bullpen after their session and discussing the pitcher's mechanics. It was the third time in two weeks Posey has caught Lincecum, who came to Arizona two weeks ago.

Among those watching closely were manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean.

"He thinks everything is fine," Sabean said of Posey. "Certainly, he's ready to get out there. It'll be us holding him back."

Posey might start the spring opener March 3 against Arizona, but the Giants will be cautious even once the regular season starts. Bochy said his only concern is seeing how Posey reacts to catching nine innings two or three games in a row.

The plan for Posey could include some time at first base, and Posey conceded Sunday he considered leaving catching behind after the devastating injury.

But those thoughts were short-lived.

"The more I thought about it, I realized how much I enjoy catching," Posey said. "I want to catch for as long as I possibly can."

To ensure that happens, Bochy, a former catcher, will continue to work on getting Posey used to making tags at the plate without putting himself in jeopardy.

"I don't want him blocking the plate," Bochy said.

Posey was quick to point out his intent wasn't what got him in trouble last May, when the Marlins' Scott Cousins ended his season in a brutal collision.

"I want to make it clear I wasn't blocking the plate to begin with," Posey said. "That's the dicey part, I guess, is figuring where you've got to be to somewhat avoid that. I have to be instinctual. That's the way I play the game."

Posey has no problem watching replays of the collision and said he accepts that Cousins is sorry for what happened. But Posey hasn't spoken to Cousins, preferring to focus on "looking forward and being positive."

That process started with rehabilitation and accelerated in January, when Posey started to feel that he was fully ready to return to the field. His ankle is a little sore when he wakes up, but all it takes is a few steps to get back to normal.

Lincecum made sure nothing out of the ordinary happened during his bullpen session, throwing all fastballs and changeups right down the pipe. Cain threw a couple of pitches in the dirt, but it wasn't a problem for Posey, who, aside from the ankle brace he wore during batting practice, showed no signs he was ever hurt.

He sprayed every part of the field during batting practice, hitting two home runs to left and peppering several balls off the center-field wall.

Afterward, Posey retreated to a nearby field to run and do change-of-direction drills. Not even the conditioning work could wipe the smile off his face.

"I'm enjoying every bit of it," he said.

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