Mike Hampton left his minor-league rehabilitation start with Class AA Mississippi on Wednesday night after only two innings, having tweaked his groin.

"He didn't want to take any chances with it," said Nick Skinner, PR director for the Mississippi Braves. "He said his arm felt great."

Hampton injured his groin during the first inning and gave up a solo home run in the second inning against the Carolina Mudcats. He walked one, struck out two and threw 29 pitches, including 15 for strikes.

Hampton was making the sixth start of this rehabilitation assignment, having already built up to as many as five innings. He has been aiming to return to action after the All-Star break from a strained pectoral muscle that has delayed his comeback by 3 1/2 months and counting.

Hampton, who hasn't pitched in a major-league game since August 2005 because of multiple elbow surgeries, injured his pectoral muscle warming up in the bullpen for his first scheduled start in early April.