Clemens to come out of retirement

Clemens made 32 regular-season starts for Houston last year

Seven-times Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens has announced his intention to come out of retirement and pitch for the Houston Astros again.

Clemens, 43, spent 2004 and 2005 with the Astros, and has signed for his home town club until the end of the season.

He boasts a 341-172 record with 4,502 strikeouts in an illustrious career with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Astros.

Houston lie third in the Central Division with 27 wins and 26 losses.

When the greatest pitcher to ever play the game is on your team, it's nothing but positive Astros team-mate Andy Pettitte

"The Rocket", who has spent 22 seasons in major league baseball, helped the Astros to their first ever World Series appearance last season, only for them to lose to the Chicago White Sox - before pitching for the USA in March's World Baseball Classic.

He has agreed to a pro-rated $22,000,022 (£11,777,233) salary - which will see him earn approximately $12.8m (£6.9m) for his truncated season.

Clemens will pull on his Astros number 22 jersey exactly 22 days after re-signing, to pitch against the Minnesota Twins on 22 June.

Before then, he is due to make three "rehab" starts for the Astros' minor league farm clubs, starting with the 'Class A' league Lexington Legends - for whom his 20-year-old son Koby plays third base - on 6 June.

"When the greatest pitcher to ever play the game is on your team, it's nothing but positive," team-mate and fellow pitcher Andy Pettitte said.