Francisco Cervelli and Pirates agree to $31-million deal

Catcher Francisco Cervelli and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a $31-million, three-year contract that runs from 2017 to 2019.

Cervelli, 30, is being paid $3.5 million under a one-year contract and would have been eligible for free agency after this season.

He has a .284 career batting average and was batting .276 with 18 runs batted in through Monday. He hit .295 last season with seven home runs and 43 RBIs.

Cervelli played seven seasons with the New York Yankees before joining the Pirates last season.

Steven Matz to rejoin Mets rotation Friday

Left-hander Steven Matz is set to rejoin the New York Mets rotation Friday night against Milwaukee.

Matz was scratched from his scheduled start last weekend in Colorado because of elbow soreness. He was examined Monday in New York and got an injection.

Matz is 5-1 with a 2.86 earned-run average in six starts.

Yu Darvish could return to Rangers rotation by end of the month

Right-hander Yu Darvish struck out six batters and threw 47 of 68 pitches for strikes in five innings with double-A Frisco in his fourth minor league injury rehabilitation start, and could be back in the Texas Rangers rotation by the end of the month.

Darvish had elbow ligament-replacement surgery 14 months ago.

“I feel pretty confident right now, so just keep going,” Darvish said through an interpreter.

Indians demote Cody Anderson, promote Mike Clevinger

Pitcher Cody Anderson was optioned to triple-A Columbus by the Cleveland Indians.

The right-hander gave up six runs, including two home runs, in 4 1/3 innings in Monday’s series opener against Cincinnati. He was 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA in six starts.

“Guys have gone back to triple A,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said. “That doesn’t change one iota how we feel about this kid. When you look at a kid and you feel he needs to go back for his own good, you need to do it.”

Cleveland will start Mike Clevinger on Wednesday against the Reds in Cincinnati. It will be the major league debut for Clevinger, who has a 3.03 ERA in seven starts for Columbus.

Clevinger, a 25-year-old right-hander, received news of the promotion Monday night from Columbus Manager Chris Tremie.

“I really didn’t have much to say,” Clevinger said. “Five minutes later he called me again and said, ‘Clev, I just wanted to make sure you heard me, you’re going to the big leagues.’ I didn’t sleep at all. I had the shakes at about 5.a.m. They’re still going.”

Clevinger became a father a couple of weeks ago and will make his debut in front of several family members.

“If you had asked me this last year, I never saw any of these two things coming,” he said.

Joe Nathan and Cubs agree to one-year deal

The Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year contract with Joe Nathan, a six-time All-Star reliever recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

The deal is for the major league minimum $507,500. Chicago put the 15-year veteran on the 60-day disabled list as he continues to recover from surgery in April 2015.

Nathan, 41, has 377 saves, eighth most in major league history. He last pitched April 6, 2015, in his only appearance that season for the Detroit Tigers.