Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, throws as he warms up at the Dodgers baseball spring training facility, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP) — There’s a new No. 2 in the New York Yankees’ rotation behind Gerrit Cole. A familiar face is getting a fresh start leading the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani & Co. are preparing a title defense.

There was plenty to see as baseball returned Wednesday for most big league clubs, with pitchers and catchers working out at sites across Arizona and Florida. The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers got an early start ahead of their opening series in Tokyo on March 18 and 19, and a few clubs won’t get going until Thursday.

The Yankees welcomed back Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, after he chose to remain with New York rather than opt out of his contract, which runs through 2028.

“The intention wasn’t to do anything but stay,” Cole said. “I was happy to be where my feet were back in Yankee Stadium.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Cole did not make the offseason contract situation a distraction.

“He came in and talked about it openly after the fact,” Boone said. “He kind of put us at ease a little bit and a laugh. Certainly, I’m excited he came back. Great pitchers get attractive on the market. As great as he’s been, you never know.”

Cole is joined in the rotation by Max Fried as they try to return to the World Series and win their first title since 2009.

Terry Francona watched his first workout as Cincinnati Reds manager. The Reds went 77-85 last season but have promising young talent led by speedy infielder Elly De La Cruz and ace Hunter Greene. Francona won two World Series titles with Boston and took Cleveland to the playoffs six times from 2013-23, including the 2016 World Series.

“I think the normal thought is, ‘it’s the first day’ and everybody wants to go out and throw 100 (mph),” Francona told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So, I reminded them today, the pitchers, that, hey, there’s a progression here. Regardless of how old you are, get ready because you can’t make the club in the training room.”

Ohtani said through an interpreter he’s been throwing his usual arsenal of pitches during flat ground workouts, mixing in his sweeper for the first time on Wednesday. He added when he begins bullpen work is “going to depend on how my fastball feels.”

Reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes arrived for his first spring training as a true major leaguer rocking a beard and a T-shirt featuring Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner.

The 22-year-old then stood alongside Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler for a bullpen session watched intently by every member of the Pirates baseball operations staff. Throwing to starting catcher Joey Bart, with new assistant pitching coach Brent Strom and coaches, support staff and equipment on a platform behind them, Skenes made Bart’s mitt pop with regularity.

The two embraced when the session was over, the first step in what should be a normal spring training for Skenes. The Pirates last year brought the top pick in the 2023 amateur draft along slowly.

Skenes talked openly last month about wanting to be more vocal this season, though the club expects the National League All-Star starter to continue to lead by example following a year in which he went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA.