Clemens Returns to the Astros

Roger Clemens, carried into his third semi-retirement seven months ago by a sore back and a strained hamstring, returned Wednesday to the Houston Astros for his 23rd major league season.

He is scheduled to pitch Tuesday at Class-A Lexington, beginning a sequence that would have him big-league ready for a June 22 start against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park.

Clemens, who won 341 games, seven Cy Young Awards and an MVP award in his first 22 seasons, will be 44 in August. For the final three-plus months of the season, or about 20 starts, Clemens will earn the prorated value of a $22-million contract, a record for a pitcher. If he makes his June 22 start as scheduled, that works out to $12.3 million.

He said in a Houston news conference that his body and mind are strong and eager, though he has pitched only twice, in the World Baseball Classic, since his injury-shortened World Series start in Game 1 against the Chicago White Sox.

“I can handle losing and I can handle pitching poorly, but I don’t want my body to break down,” Clemens said. “I’m a power pitcher, and yes I can pitch when I don’t have power and get you out other ways, but I need to go out there and test my body in that manner. If not, we’re all wasting our time here. I’m not riding in the back of a convertible waving a hat and selling tickets. They expect me to get on the field and win ballgames and do it the way they’re used to seeing me do it and I expect that more so than anyone.”

For several weeks, Clemens has worked out with his son, Koby, at the family’s Houston-area home and at Minute Maid Park. They are expected to continue their training together for several more days; Koby was Lexington’s third baseman until he broke a finger on his left hand a month ago, but could come off the disabled list in time for his father’s start.

After concluding he was ready to pitch again, Clemens chose the Astros over offers from the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He will begin on a minor league contract.

“You know, here we go again,” he said. “I’m going to give it a shot. Not necessarily that I know I need to or want to, but I’m committed. Again, it’s about winning ... and last time I checked we were in the World Series last year. It’s the same team, if not better.”

The Astros, 27-27 and 7 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central, will again play from behind, as they did last season, when they started 15-30. They finished 89-73, won the wild card and advanced to the World Series, where they were swept by the White Sox.

“It’s a tremendous uplift to our situation,” Astros General Manager Tim Purpura said. “Our young pitching has been tremendous, but our young pitching is inexperienced. What we want to do is get back to the playoffs, we want to get back to the World Series and Roger Clemens’ presence in our rotation will certainly do a lot to get us there.”