Cardinals RHP Keynan Middleton leaving camp to change hats

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Keynan Middleton hopes that his next save will arrive as he returns to his native Oregon for the state high school basketball tournament.

Middleton left Cardinals camp Thursday to return to his home state where the Putnam High School boys basketball team will compete in the 5A division state semifinals. Middleton had been serving as an assistant coach for the team before duty called when spring training opened last month.

No. 6 seed Putnam defeated No. 3 seed North Eugene 61-57 in overtime of the quarterfinals Wednesday. The team will face No. 2 seed Wilsonville in the semifinals Friday, with the state final set for Saturday. Wilsonville is the two-time defending state champion.

The semifinal losers play in a third-place game, also Saturday.

MIddleton's opportunity to rejoin the Putnam team was cleared with manager Oliver Marmol long before Putnam started its state tourney run, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Middleton, 30, was born in Portland, Ore., and attended Milwaukie High School before going to Lane Community College in Eugene. He was drafted in the third round in 2013 by the Los Angeles Angels.

In seven seasons with the Angels, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, Middleton is 10-8 in 205 appearances (one start) and has a 3.84 ERA with 15 saves. He signed a free-agent deal with the Cardinals on Feb. 3.

Middleton has not allowed a run in three innings over three appearances during spring training. He had a scoreless inning against the Houston Astros on Thursday and was not scheduled to pitch in the next few days.