Middleton pitched one inning for Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, retiring all three batters with one strikeout.
After Middleton pitched a perfect frame with High-A Inland Empire on Tuesday, he took another step toward returning to the majors with a 1-2-3 seventh inning in his first Triple-A appearance Friday. He was clocked at 92-93 mph on the radar gun. Middleton has not pitched in the big leagues since damaging his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2018, but his return seems close.