Daniel Murphy and Luis Hernandez took grounders at second base on Monday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., which was notable for different reasons.

Murphy is transitioning to the position. He's still wearing a knee brace where he tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee last season on a takeout slide by a player from Triple-A Syracuse. Murphy said he wore the brace while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, and it was not restrictive. He plans to wear it during the upcoming season as well.

"I still stole my bases, hit by doubles," Murphy said dryly about his winter-ball experience with the brace.

Hernandez, meanwhile, was taking grounders for the first time since breaking his right foot in September while fouling off a pitch from Tim Hudson. (Hernandez homered on the next pitch that game, barely made it around the bases, then required surgery.) He started hitting two weeks earlier.

Nick Evans also took grounders with that group, and worked at third base.