CHICAGO (Ticker) -- After spending more than three weeks on the disabled list with a sore hamstring, five-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens will return tonight for the New York Yankees with a chance to set an American League record for consecutive wins. Clemens had hoped to start in New York's recently completed three-game series at Boston, where he spent the majority of his career. But Yankees manager Joe Torre elected to play it cautiously and allowed Clemens to rest a few more days before announcing him as the starter for tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox. "We've rested it as long as we can," Clemens said. "It's time to get back out there." Clemens has not pitched since April 27 when he left after just two innings due to tightness in his hamstring. Two days later, he was placed on the disabled list. Clemens yielded five runs in that outing and was in danger of having his AL record-tying 17-game personal winning streak broken, but the Yankees took him off the hook with a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over the Rangers. Clemens can establish a record for consecutive winning decisions tonight. He currently shares the mark of 17 straight with Baltimore's Dave McNally and Cleveland's Johnny Allen. Clemens has not lost since last May 29 when he was with Toronto, a span of 27 starts. The major league record for consecutive wins is 24 by Carl Hubbell in 1936-37 for the New York Giants. After being acquired from Toronto in February in exchange for lefthanders David Wells and Graeme Lloyd and infielder Homer Bush, Clemens went 2-0 in five starts for the Yankees before his injury. But he owns a 5.47 ERA and has given up five homers and 17 walks while striking out 23 in 26 1/3 innings. Last season, en route to a unanimous selection for a second straight Cy Young Award, Clemens went 20-6 with a 2.65 ERA and 271 strikeouts. Clemens owns six ERA titles, seven All-Star selections and five 20-win seasons. He is 235-124 with 3,176 strikeouts in 455 career games. After losing two of three in Boston, the Yankees (22-17) fell out of first place in the AL East, a half-game behind the Red Sox.  