Athletics' Jharel Cotton: Mixed bag in Wednesday rehab outing

Cotton (finger) struck out six but allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks over 3.1 innings in Triple-A Nashville's win over Iowa on Wednesday.

It was decided earlier in the week that Cotton would require a rehab start before being activated, and the hope is that he shook off any existing rust during what was a fairly rocky outing. The right-hander did miss quite a few bats during his relatively brief time on the mound, but also pitched to plenty of contact. Despite the less-than-favorable results, Cotton is likely to rejoin the Oakland starting rotation and make a start early next week.