Julio Teheran of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the first inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 31, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
By Julian Guilarte
World Baseball Network
Julio Teheran pitched six scoreless innings for the Milwaukee Brewers in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last night. Teheran gave up four hits and didn’t walk or strike out a batter. Teheran has always pitched to contact and doesn’t have overpowering stuff. Teheran now clocks around 90 MPH with his fastball and has a slider, curveball, and changeup.
The 32-year-old right-hander was signed on May 23 by the Brewers after opting out of his Minor League contract with the Padres the day prior. Teheran has looked great through two starts with the Brewers pitching 11 innings with an ERA of 0.82 and five strikeouts.
“Obviously every win matters, but this one is huge,” Teheran said when asked postgame by MLB reporter Julia Kreuz.
The Brewers had a need for Teheran after key injuries in their starting rotation to Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, Eric Lauer and Aaron Ashby.
It’s been a long journey back to the show for Teheran, who hadn’t pitched in MLB since 2021 with the Detroit Tigers. Teheran pitched just one game for the Tigers before a shoulder strain ended his season. Teheran expanded on the thoughts of his journey post-game with Kreuz.
“Last year when I was out of MLB, I didn’t know what was going to happen. So now I’m enjoying, every moment, every game, even every pitch. It’s just awesome to be back,” Teheran said.
In April 2022, Teheran signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic Professional Baseball League. He started six games there, pitched 33 innings and had an ERA of 1.60.
Teheran then signed in the Mexican League and split the season between the Toros de Tijuana and the Sultanes de Monterrey.
On November 23, 2022, Teheran signed a minor league contract with the Padres and got an invite to Spring Training. He began the season with the Padres Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.
Teheran pitched for his native Colombia in the World Baseball Classic in 2017, and impressed with five innings of one-run ball against Canada in a 4-1 win. Teheran was on the Colombia roster for the 2023 WBC but didn’t pitch in any of their four games.
Originally signed by the Atlanta Braves in 2007 as an international free agent, Teheran made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2011 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the fifth ranked prospect on Baseball America before the 2012 season.
He pitched in Atlanta for nine seasons from 2011 to 2019. He was a two-time All-Star with Atlanta.
He went to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2020. He has pitched 1,407 innings with 1212 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.78 in his MLB career.