A’s protect young right-handed pitcher from Rule 5 draft

Pitcher Daulton Jefferies, who was selected by the A’s in first round of the 2016 draft.The Oakland Athletics selected right-handed pitcher Daulton Jefferies’ contract from Double-A Midland and designated right-handed pitcher Jharel Cotton, the team announced on Wednesday.

Adding Jefferies, 24, to the 40-man protects him from this season’s Rule 5 draft, and he certainly would have been meat on the market.

The Cal alum, the A’s fifth pick in the 2016 draft, made major strides after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017, a procedure that capped a total of nine innings of professional work. With Double-A Midland and Single-A Stockton last season, Jefferies recorded a 10.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio…