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First workouts underway for MLB pitchers and catchers

First workouts underway for MLB pitchers and catchers

LAKELAND, Fla. — Winter is over — in baseball, at least.

Fifteen major league teams have their first scheduled workouts for pitchers and catchers Tuesday in Florida and Arizona, including the Justin Verlander-led Tigers , the American League champion Indians and a Boston franchise heading into its first season after David Ortiz's retirement.

Verlander arrives with high hopes after re-emerging as a Cy Young Award contender last season, but Detroit has a lot of ground to make up after Cleveland won the AL Central by eight games. Ortiz led Boston to an AL East title in his final season, and although the Red Sox are without Big Papi for the first time since 2002, they added star left-hander Chris Sale to a talented team that already included Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts.

Noah Trister, The Associated Press