Reports Say Clemens Will Join the Astros

Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, seven months into what appears to be another aborted retirement, is close to announcing his return and is expected to re-sign with the Houston Astros shortly.

Clemens, who will be 44 in August, has spent many days recently running and lifting weights at Minute Maid Park in Houston, preparing as though his 23rd season was imminent.

Some of those workouts have included his son, Koby, an Astros minor leaguer who is expected to come off the disabled list this week after rehabilitating a hand injury.

Newsday reported on its website Tuesday that Clemens, who was not offered arbitration by the Astros last winter and therefore could not re-sign with the team until May 1, had chosen the Astros. Clemens was believed to be considering signing with two of his former franchises -- the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees -- as well as the Texas Rangers.

Astros General Manager Tim Purpura and Clemens’ agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, have spoken almost daily for weeks, but, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, had no contact Tuesday. Astros owner Drayton McLane was not in his office Tuesday, but is expected today.

The Astros and the Hendricks denied they had reached a contract, reported by Newsday to be worth between $3.5 million and $4 million a month. If Clemens were to make his first start in mid-June, he would earn about $12.25 million in the regular season. He made $18 million last season.

“We haven’t finished the deal yet,” McLane told the Houston Chronicle.

Upon signing the contract, Clemens will be the game’s active leader in wins with 341. Since first announcing his retirement, after winning 17 games for the Yankees in 2003, Clemens is 31-12 and won his seventh Cy Young trophy.

He was 13-8 with a league-leading 1.87 earned-run average in 2005, leading the Astros to their first World Series appearance.

Clemens would arrive to find the Astros struggling in the National League Central at 27-26.

-- Tim Brown

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Cleveland Indians pitcher Scott Sauerbeck apologized to his family and teammates after his early-morning arrest, another distraction for a struggling team.

Sauerbeck and a woman were taken into custody after fleeing the left-hander’s vehicle and were found hiding behind bushes, police said.

“I want to apologize first and foremost to my family,” Sauerbeck said before the Indians played the Chicago White Sox. “I’m sorry to my teammates, the organization and fans for causing any embarrassment.”

Sauerbeck, who is married, was the passenger in his 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible, which a patrolman observed weaving at 3:45 a.m. The vehicle pulled into a driveway and the driver, Lily Miller, 28, and Sauerbeck got out, walked into the backyard and jumped a fence, according to a police report.

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Minor league umpires settled their season-long strike, ratifying a six-year contract that calls for a $100 monthly salary increase.

Umpires had said their salaries previously averaged $15,000 at triple A, $12,000 at double A, $10,000 in full-season Class A and $5,500 in rookie leagues.

As part of the new deal, per diems rise $3 to $28 at triple A, $25 at double A and $23 at Class A. They will rise gradually to $40 at triple A in 2011, $35 at double A and $30 at Class A.

Umpires will return to work by June 12. They had been on strike since minor league seasons began April 6.

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Barry Bonds was scratched from San Francisco’s lineup because of a sore back.

The slugger told Giants Manager Felipe Alou about three hours before Tuesday night’s game against the Florida Marlins that he had some tightness in his back, but Alou said he didn’t get the sense the injury was serious.

Bonds was available to pinch-hit Tuesday night but was not used in San Francisco’s 5-3 loss to Florida.

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The Seattle Mariners released former All-Star outfielder Matt Lawton, who sat out the first 10 days of the regular season in April for violating Major League Baseball’s old policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

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Top prospect Lastings Milledge was called up by the New York Mets because starting right fielder Xavier Nady was put on the disabled list after an appendectomy earlier in the day.