DETROIT -- Angels general manager Billy Eppler didn’t expect Keynan Middleton to cruise through his recovery from Tommy John surgery without hitting a few bumps in the road.

Eppler confirmed Tuesday that Middleton sustained a minor setback in his recovery and was shut down for a week after complaining of right elbow soreness following a mound session.

“His arm felt good, so he pushed farther down on the gas pedal,” Eppler said. “And by pushing farther down on the gas pedal, he had a little bit more soreness the next day. That’s it.”

Middleton, who underwent Tommy John surgery last May, has since been cleared to resume his throwing program, and is playing catch up to 70 feet.

Prior to the setback, Middleton was on track to face hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery nearly a year ago.

“He now reports a 1 out of 10 [on a pain scale], which is very good reporting,” Eppler said.

Middleton compiled a 2.04 ERA across 17 2/3 innings prior to sustaining the season-ending injury last May.

“The way he was pitching last year, he certainly solidifies the bullpen a little bit more,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “We’re looking forward to having him back. We have a lot of great arms out there, but he’d be a great addition.”

The typical rehab recovery time from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months, and Middleton was on track to be at the shorter end of that time frame before the setback.

He's now on track to rejoin the team in late June or early July.

“We’ll be cautious and make sure he stays off the gas pedal by not having him get back on the mound for a little bit,” Eppler said.

Odds and ends
• Left-hander Andrew Heaney threw a bullpen session Wednesday, and barring a setback, is scheduled to throw three innings and 45 pitches against hitters in an extended spring training game on Friday in Arizona, Eppler said. Heaney, who faced live hitters on Sunday, has been battling left elbow inflammation since early March. His expected return date remains unclear.

Before rejoining the Angels, Heaney -- who was diagnosed with chronic changes in his throwing elbow in early April -- will likely require a rehab stint at Triple-A Salt Lake. Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 and missed the first two weeks of last season with left elbow inflammation before returning to the rotation. He made a team-high 30 starts last year en route to a 4.15 ERA and struck out 180 batters in 180 innings.

• Outfielder Justin Upton has been cleared to begin running exercises on a de-weighted treadmill -- nearly two weeks after he was cleared to remove his walking boot. Upton -- who is on the 10-day injured list due to turf toe -- has yet to be cleared to run with full weight. There’s no timeline for his return.

“He can be a very potent bat -- huge, really. He’s a heart-of-the-lineup hitter,” Ausmus said. “There’s very few guys I’ve seen where the ball comes off the bat like it does for Justin Upton.”

• Jo Adell, the Angels' top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been cleared by team officials to take at-bats in simulated games. Adell, 19, has been battling right hamstring and left ankle injuries since early March. His initial recovery timeline was estimated at 10-12 weeks.

• Reliever JC Ramirez threw live batting practice on Saturday and has not encountered any setbacks in his recovery since being cleared to face hitters earlier this month, Eppler said. Ramirez consistently touched 92-96 mph in his throwing session, and remains on track to rejoin the team in late June or early July.