PITTSBURGH >> The Pittsburgh Pirates are taking a flier on knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright.

The Pirates signed Wright on Sunday and invited him to big league camp. The right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2019, when he was limited to six appearances with Boston after serving an 80-game suspension following a positive test for human growth hormone.

The 36-year-old Wright, a former University of Hawaii standout pitcher, is 24-16 with a 3.86 ERA in 81 career appearances, with 44 starts, and was an All-Star in 2016. He did not pitch in 2020 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Wright was arrested on Dec. 8, 2017, at his home outside Nashville, Tenn., and charged with domestic related assault and prevention of a 911 call, both misdemeanors. The Boston Globe reported prosecutors retired Wright’s case contingent on his completing an anger management course, refraining from violent contact with his wife, and incurring no new criminal charges for a year. Wright ended up serving a 15-game suspension in 2018 as a result of the incident.

Kansas City Royals

Pérez gets 4-year, $82M deal

The Kansas City Royals have given six-time All-Star catcher Salvador Pérez the richest contract in club history, a four-year, $82 million deal that begins in 2022.

The contract includes a club option worth an additional $13.5 million and has a $2 million buyout for 2026.

The deal, announced Sunday, surpasses the four-year, $72 million contract the Royals gave to outfielder Alex Gordon in 2016.

Pérez, who turns 31 in May, has not only established himself as one of the game’s premier hitting catchers but also one of the most beloved players in Royals history. He was the World Series MVP in 2015, when the club broke their 30-year title drought, and is coming off a season in which he hit .333 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs to win his third Silver Slugger.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ailing Clippard out at least 6 weeks

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. >> Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Tyler Clippard has a sprained right shoulder and won’t throw for at least the next six weeks.

Clippard said the injury was diagnosed as a “capsule sprain” and his shoulder will be re-evaluated at the end of six weeks of rest. The right-hander signed a $2.25 million, one-year deal with the team in February.

Clippard was injured while pitching against Milwaukee on Friday .