Cotton sent to Triple-A after coming off IL

OAKLAND -- The Oakland A’s designated right-handed pitcher Brian Schlitter for assignment to clear a roster spot for left-handed pitcher Jake Diekman, who was acquired from Kansas City on Saturday. The A’s also reinstated right-handed pitcher Jharel Cotton from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Schlitter was selected from Las Vegas June 23 and appeared in six games for Oakland, posting a 3.72 ERA and .324 opponents batting average. He struck out six and walked four in 9 2/3 innings. The 33-year-old right-hander also went 4-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 27 games with the Aviators.

Diekman has a 4.75 ERA and .212 opponents batting average in 48 relief appearances with Kansas City. He has struck out 63 batters in 41 2/3 innings and ranks ninth among American League relievers in strikeouts. The 32-year-old left-hander made his Major League debut with Philadelphia in 2012 and is 14-21 with a 3.87 ERA in 413 appearances over eight seasons in the Majors with the Phillies (2012-15), Rangers (2015-18), D-backs (2018) and Royals (2019). Diekman has 446 strikeouts in 353.2 career innings, an average of 11.35 per nine innings

Cotton began the season on the 60-day injured list as he continued his recovery from March 31, 2018 ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Stockton May 17 and went 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three games before his rehab was halted May 29 due to a hamstring injury. Cotton underwent a debridement surgery on the hamstring June 6 and resumed his rehab July 9. He was moved up to Las Vegas July 11 and went 1-1 with an 8.16 ERA in eight rehab appearances, including two starts, overall.