CHICAGO — Anthony Kay is returning to the major leagues, agreeing to a $12 million, two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.

The deal for the left-hander includes a mutual option for 2028, according to a person who confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.

The 30-year-old Kay pitched in Japan for the past two years. He last appeared in a big league game on Oct. 1, 2023, with the New York Mets.

The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, but that was a 19-game improvement from the previous season. They are hoping to take another step forward in 2026 behind a promising group of young players that includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.

Kay joins a bullpen that had a 4.16 ERA and a major league-high 48 losses this year.

Kay was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He is 4-2 with a 5.59 ERA in 44 major league games, also playing for Toronto and the Chicago Cubs.

FanSided.com first reported Kay’s contract with the White Sox.