TAMPA — Yankees star Aaron Judge was among the dozens of players who took part in an MLB Players Association meeting Thursday, hours after MLB owners met in Orlando, Fla., while the two sides remain in a battle over a new collective bargaining agreement that has shut down the sport since December. 

“I’m looking forward to getting this thing done,’’ Judge said after the MLBPA meeting ended. “I think we’re all ready [for spring training]. We’re in shape and I think we’re all ready.” 

A lot needs to happen before anyone takes the field. 

Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed some optimism at the owners’ meetings that the season would begin on time. The owners will present a new proposal on Saturday at a meeting between the two sides in Manhattan. The players are encouraged that the meeting is taking place, but remain frustrated by the pace of the negotiations. 

Asked what he expected from the owners during Saturday’s meeting, former Yankees pitcher Andrew Miller, who is on the MLBPA executive board, said: “My expectations don’t really matter. We’ll see it when it comes across. We hope it’s something we can work with and it’s a true start to negotiations. We haven’t seen that yet. Talking is good.” 

There was a lot of talking Thursday. Manfred said there so far will be no change to the start of spring training or the regular season, despite the fact spring training is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. 

“I am an optimist, and I believe we will have an agreement in time to play our regular schedule,” Manfred said, when asked if he believes the regular season would start on March 31 as scheduled. 

“If I hadn’t given consideration to what it would mean to miss games, I wouldn’t be doing my job. Obviously, I pay attention to that. I see missing games as a disastrous outcome for this industry. We’re committed to making an agreement in an effort to avoid that.” 

Clearly there’s still a long way to go — and Miller said the players are aware of what Manfred discussed. 

“We try to read between the lines about what’s being said,’’ Miller said. “Accuracy is important. When things are portrayed incorrectly, it’s a little frustrating.” 

The lack of trust is among the reasons the start of the season, and perhaps more, is in jeopardy. 

“There are a lot of moving pieces and things would have to get moving [to avoid a delay],’’ Miller said. “Certainly, it would be nice if we got a lot more done prior to this moment in time.” 

Perhaps the meeting Saturday will change the tone of the negotiations. 

“We’re going to make a good-faith, positive proposal in an effort to move the process forward,” Manfred said of the upcoming session. “Whether or not that happens, I don’t know.” 

In the meantime, players at MLBPA meetings, in Tampa on Thursday and in Arizona earlier in the week, insist the players continue to be on the same page. 

“It was good to see there was a lot of unity,’’ Miller said. “Guys understand what we’re trying to accomplish.” 

“Everyone wants to play and we want it to be fair for everybody,” said Luis Severino, who was joined by teammates Judge, Luke Voit, Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela, as well as the Mets’ Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. 

Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff in Orlando, Fla.