FORT MYERS — Francisco Liriano just threw for about 10 minutes in the bullpen here with Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson and a host of others watching.

To me, it looked like Liriano was throwing at about 80 percent at first, which might have been the instructions. He let a few fastballs go toward the end, and Anderson flashed a big smile at one point.

Nobody had a radar gun, but I don’t think anything he threw was in the upper 90s.

Overall, it looked to me like Liriano was a tad apprehensive. Sometimes it looked like he was laboring. Could have been nerves, trying to show the progress he’s made to Anderson, etc.

This also is the coldest day since I’ve been here, with a strong wind and temperatures dropping into the lower 60s. So that might have played a part.

His pitching motion looks very similar to what we saw in 2006. So it’s not like he’s revamped everything. He’s just bigger. He threw several change-ups in this bullpen session and only a few sliders. The mere fact he’s using all his pitches is probably a good sign for the staff.

Anyway, we’ll get some reaction after the workout ends in about an hour, but those were my first impressions of Liriano.

Update: A Twins official told La Velle that the club stressed to Liriano that they wanted him to take it easy today and pitch like the others did on their first day in camp. That offered an explanation for what we saw because as soon as I went to the main stadium here, LHP Brian Duensing was throwing harder than Liriano was.

“I haven’t thrown for like two, three days, so they told me to take it easy,” Liriano said.

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