Roger Clemens on track for Yankees debut

Last Updated: Wednesday, June 6, 2007 | 6:16 PM ET

CBC Sports

Roger Clemens may finally be ready to make his much-awaited return to the major leagues.

The 44-year-old right-hander threw 54 pitches Wednesday at the New York Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa, Fla., putting him on track to pitch Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Roger Clemens signed a lucrative one-year deal with the New York Yankees in early May.
(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner made 21 throws in the outfield and eight warm-up tosses before his 20-minute batting practice session against players from the Yankees' extended spring training team.

Clemens also took part in a short fielding session before jogging around the area outside the complex.

Clemens, who the Yankees lured out of semi-retirement with a mammoth one-year contract, had been scheduled to start Monday night against the Chicago White Sox. But he scratched himself from the game on Saturday due to what the Yankees called a "fatigued" groin.

An MRI exam Monday showed Clemens had a scar tissue injury in his right groin.

The injury was the latest setback in Clemens's comeback. There had been talk he would make his first major-league start on May 28 in Toronto, but his debut was pushed back after a rough conditioning outing in the minor leagues.

If Clemens is added to the Yankees' major league roster on Saturday, he would earn $17.4 million US this season and cost the Yankees close to $7 million in luxury tax.

Clemens agreed May 6 to a one-year contract worth a prorated portion of $28,000,022 — the last two digits matching his uniform number — but only gets paid his major league salary once he is on the big league roster.